Facing Your Fears: AGAIN!
by cupcakesarereallygood
Summary: Hah, the final installment of Facing Your Fears. Mikoto is finally back from England. Home sweet Home right? But, what if the Home you're returning to is actually Hell in disguise? Weird and suspicious occurrences have been happening ever since she returned. What kind of trouble will they get into now? "Time and time again, I've been here for you, why should that change?"
1. Welcome Home part 1

**Hey! I AM BACK! I'm still alive and breathing as you can see. Okay, let's save our reunion for later, let's get on with the story!**

Chapter 1

"Alright... this is it... Just go in and tell him... Just go in and tell him..."

Mikoto said as she took deep breaths. She was currently standing in front of her dorm, holding the doorknob with great force. She is now about to tell Hiromi about her plan of returning to Academy City, which is a lot easier said than done. Mikoto took another deep breath as she slowly turned the knob and entered.

"I'm b-"

"Oh, welcome back Miko! Come and take a seat! I already cooked dinner for us!"

Hiromi greeted happily, while setting the roasted chicken on the table. He was wearing a frilly apron (supposedly Mikoto's), and smiled at her warmly. He walked up to her and held her shoulders and led her to her seat.

"Uhm, Hiromi? I appreciate everything but-"

"Let's save the talk for later! I got hungry waiting for you! I'm pretty sure that you're starving too! So let's eat okay?"

He said as he sat on the chair opposite of hers. Mikoto couldn't do anything but oblige. It was the least she could do, she was leaving him. After a while of eating,

"So? How did you like the food Miko?"

Hiromi asked looking at her. Mikoto smiled as she swallowed another chunk of chicken in her mouth.

"It's delicious as always Hiromi, but we really, really need to talk."

She said putting her fork down and looking at him seriously. Hiromi did the same as he took a glass of water to drink.

"Okay then, what is it?"

He said bringing it closer to his mouth for a sip. Mikoto closed her eyes and breathed.

"I've decided to go back to Academy City."

Hiromi nearly choked in his water. He had a coughing fit, but quickly recovered.

"What?" He asked rather calmly.

"I said, I'll take up Academy City's request. I'm going back."

She answered lowering her head. Hiromi eyed her carefully before speaking,

"Before anything, why did you decide that?"

"What?"

"What's the reason you came up with that decision? Or should I say, who is the reason?"

He said looking at her, pain clearly visible from his eyes.

"Hiromi, please..."

"Misaka Mikoto. Answer me, truthfully if you please. Don't even try lying."

"Sigh, I talked to Kuroko on my way home okay? She told me stories about everyone and I realized how much I missed them. Besides, I don't want to see that guy's face anymore, so you don't have to worry about him. I'll only be gone for a while. It's not like I'm gonna stay there permanently."

"You're lying."

"I am not!"

"Yes you are! If you truly hated him, then why do you still wear that necklace?! If you really wanted to move on, you would've thrown it into a river or something!"

"I tried that okay? It's just...I thought that...instead of forgetting about him, I'd rather torture him. You know, make him suffer for what he did to me and stuff. It was actually Kuroko's idea."

She answered as she placed her hands on the table.

"Is keeping the necklace a part of that plan?"

"More or less. It doesn't matter anyway. Look, no matter what you say, I will go alright? I'll probably be gone for a month or so. It's not that long. I'll be back before you know it."

"But Miko-"

"End of discussion Hiromi. I am going to bed. I still need to pack my bags and get ready; the scheduled flight is in 2 days."

Mikoto said standing up and walking to her bedroom door. Before turning the knob, she stopped and looked back.

"Thanks for the food; you're really an amazing cook."

She entered her room shortly afterwards. Hiromi stared at the closed door before slumping back to the chair.

"But Kamijou Touma is still better than me huh?" he said, silently cursing. MEANWHILE, on the other side of the door, Mikoto slid down until she sat on her soft carpeted floor.

"Sigh, why does he always have to be so damn questioning!? It's already hard enough just thinking about it! Why does he have to ask every single detail?!"

She said pulling her knees to her chest as she realized the gravity of the situation she just entered. It was going to be one extremely long month...

Breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and once again, it was yet another quiet dinner. It was Mikoto's last day in England, and all the meals mentioned before, were shared in silence. Both Mikoto and Hiromi refused to acknowledge each other's existence. After eating, Mikoto stood up, hoping to sleep before her flight, which is in 4 hours.

"Miko?"

Hiromi suddenly said, speaking for the first time in 2 days. Mikoto merely looked back and stared at him, without saying a word.

"Get your things and bring them to the car."

"I'm going to sleep Hiromi."

"Miko, please. Just...please. This is the last time I'll ever see you. I'll take you to the airport right after."

"...Fine..."

She said opening her bedroom door and changing clothes. Mikoto grabbed her luggage as she dragged them out. A car was waiting for the two of them outside. She was struggling to put her things in the trunk, until a hand came from behind her and helped her.

"Let me help you with that."

He said rather emotionlessly, pissing Mikoto off. She grunted as she literally chucked her bags into the trunk forcefully and slammed it closed.

"No need."

She said not turning to see his reaction, as she walked to the door and slid in. Hiromi sighed and followed her. The drive to wherever they were going was really uneventful. Mikoto kept quiet as she watched the flickering lights move past her window. She would catch Hiromi staring at her, but chose to ignore him. After an hour and a half of awkward silence, they finally stopped. Hiromi immediately went down the car. Mikoto was about to do the same, until her phone vibrated. It was that idiot calling again. She silently debated whether to answer it or not, until her door opened.

"Let's go."

Hiromi said reaching out his hand, until he noticed the flashing light on Mikoto's phone.

"Aren't you going to answer that?"

He asked, not knowing who the caller was. Mikoto just glared at him before turning off her phone, and steeping out of the car, not taking his hand. Hiromi just sighed as shrugged it off and closed the door. Mikoto impatiently placed her arms across her chest and tapped her foot. Hiromi passed by her and walked through what seemed like a forest.

'_What the hell is this guy thinking? Making me lose sleep for a trek trip?! What the hell?! Ugh! He is such a-'_

Mikoto's thoughts were cut off when a hand was in her field of vision. She looked up and saw Hiromi holding out his hand once again.

"Be careful Miko. You might slip; you'd better hold my hand."

He said with a concerned tone. Mikoto grunted as she walked faster and took the lead, stepping on twigs and pushing through bushes.

'_Who the hell does he think he is?! My father?! Why the heck does he treat me like a child?!'_

She thought angrily in her mind. She stopped stomping her way around when she realized that they have reached the highest point of what seemed like a hill. She walked further and looked at the sight below. Different coloured lights were sparkling and flickering. She was looking at the overview of her town in England, and it was certainly a sight to behold.

"It's really pretty isn't it? I've always wanted to bring you here, but I never got the chance."

Hiromi said appearing from behind her. He walked closer until they were side by side staring at the view.

"Why?"

Mikoto asked, still not looking at him. Hiromi glanced at her, before smiling.

"And why are you asking that Miko? Because it reminds you of something that Kamijou did for you?" [refers to her birthday, it's on the in the one-shot I wrote]

"Cut the crap Hiromi. Why are you doing this? What's your point?"

"Why do you always have to sound mean Miko? I just wanted to talk to you, without us arguing."

"That would be difficult, considering the fact that you always bring HIM into our conversation."

She said closing her eyes and breathing the pleasant night breeze.

"Mikoto, I'm sorry if I'm making this difficult. But just so you know, it's really difficult for me to just let you go. Not after everything that we've been through."

"What are you talking about?"

"When we were kids, do you remember what happened? Our promise? I promised you that I'd get stronger to protect you! And I did! I'm strong enough, but you don't want to be protected. You just have to go and put yourself in different situations."

"Hiromi, it's the way I want to live my life. Besides, the things I do are to protect those that are dear to me. So they won't have to suffer anything."

"Even Kamijou's beliefs have rubbed off on you huh?"

Hiromi said with a small smile. Mikoto glared at him, but before she could say anything, he held out a bracelet. It was a simple chain bracelet, with a lock on its end. Mikoto's eyes widened.

"That...that bracelet got turned into dust! How did you..."

"I had it remade. I collected the dust from before and had people fix it."

"How on earth can anyone fix something like that? They turned dust to a bracelet?! Are we talking about ESPers or something?!"

"That doesn't matter right now Miko. I just want you to promise me one thing, again."

"If that's another childish promise, I am leaving this very instant."

She said turning around, but Hiromi grabbed her arm and spun her back to face him. He placed the bracelet on her wrist and smiled.

"Miko-chan, please promise, to stay with me forever. Just like before, please promise me."

He asked with a pleading look as he held her hands tightly yet gently.

"Hiromi...I..."

Mikoto stuttered but stopped when Hiromi hugged her.

"Miko, I don't think I can bear to see you leave. You should go ahead, you might be late if you stay here any longer."

"But I haven't answered you yet."

"I don't need an answer Miko-chan. Because if it's Miko-chan, I'm sure that she'll keep her promise."

He whispered gently. After a second, Hiromi released her from his grasp.

"Well, this is good bye then Miko-chan. You'd better take care of yourself okay? I should probably bring you down, you might get lost."

He said with a small laugh as he took her hand and dragged her down. When they got to the car, Hiromi opened the door for her, but before she went in,

"Hiromi?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for everything. I'll be back soon. Please don't do anything dangerous okay Hiromi?"

She said with a smile as she went in. Hiromi closed the door and it drove off. When it was finally out of sight,

"Mi..ko...chan...I'm...I'm so...sorry..."

He whispered, his eyes blurry and wobbly until they finally closed. After a second, they flung open,

"Dangerous? Oh please Misaka Mikoto, you should be more worried for yourself."

He said with dilated and seemingly maniac eyes as a sinister grin placed itself on his face.

-NEXT MORNING IN ACADEMY CITY-

"Hey, did you hear the news?"

"Ah? What is it?"

"Misaka-sama, the Railgun, is coming back! Some say she'll be back within the week. She called the principal yesterday confirming it!"

"Ah really?!"

This was the most common conversation in Academy City, specifically in Tokiwadai. It just so happened that Kuroko, Uiharu and Saten overheard a group of girls gossiping about it. They were currently seated in their usual cafe, eating cake, drinking tea and chatting casually.

"So then Shirai-san, when will Misaka-san come back? Rumours are spreading fast you know."

Uiharu asked as she took a piece of her cake.

"Onee-sama didn't say anything. She just said that she'd be back."

"I wonder what would happen if Misaka-san met up with Kamijou-san?"

Saten said looking out the window.

"In all honestly, I don't think now is the right time for them to meet. Onee-sama...has...uhm...certain plans...which might cause her to get into custody by Judgment."

"Huh why? I mean, if we think about it, Misaka-san should've been long taken into custody for extreme violence and damage to property, not to mention stealing from vending machines and a lot more!"

Saten said with a smile as she enumerated everything. Kuroko and Uiharu laughed as well.

"Yeah, I sure missed Misaka-san's violent tendencies... It was a part of our routine..."

Uiharu said while sipping her tea.

"Yeah, I miss her too." –Saten

"Well I miss Onee-sama the most! My nights have been so lonely without her! Without her warmth next to me, without her childish underwear, without her intoxicating scent, without her whip of affection, but most of all, with her love, I would die! Oh Onee-sama! My dear, dear Onee-sama! Oh how much I miss touching your-"

"Continue with your ramble and you will get shocked Kuroko."

A voice suddenly said, interrupting Kuroko's perverted monologue. The three of them looked at each other before Kuroko laughed nervously.

"Ha-ha, I can even hear Onee-sama's voice of rage even though she's not here. I should probably look at my album of candid photos of her to ease my loss..."

Kuroko said scratching the back of her head. The next thing they knew, Kuroko turned into a pile of burnt coal. Uiharu and Saten's faces both grew into shock and happiness. A girl wearing a beige beret stood behind Kuroko, wearing a coat and a brown plaid skirt with knee-high boots. The girl took of her beret and her hazel hair came tumbling down all the way to her back.

"Yo! It's been a while!" the girl greeted happily.

"MISAKA-SAN!"

They both shouted happily. Mikoto smiled back and looked at Kuroko.

"Kuroko..."

"Y-yes? Onee-sama?"

"We have a lot to burn when we get home, do you understand?" she said menacingly. Kuroko cowered in fear and just clung onto Mikoto's waist, rubbing her face in between her stomach and chest. Mikoto tried to pry her off as Uiharu and Saten laughed. The ruckus went on and on, even Saten joined in by hugging Mikoto from behind. Uiharu smiled looking at her friends, until something caught her eye. She turned her head and saw someone familiar from behind the glass window of the store.

"Ah! Kamijou-san!"

She greeted standing up happily. The ruckus stopped and everyone turned their attention to the figure behind the glass. Mikoto dropped the ragged Kuroko and stared at the spiky haired man staring at her. Touma dropped the school bag he was holding, his eyes wide and his mouth agape.

"Heh, now look who we have here."

She said with an evil smile on her face_. 'This is gonna feel so good.'_ She thought to herself.

MEANWHILE: IN ENGLAND, Hiromi sat in a cafe sipping tea. A person in a weird black cape with gold embroidered designs on it sat behind him.

"Enjoying tea like it's an ordinary thing to do huh?"

The person said, judging from its voice, it came from a man.

"What do you want? It's not yet time."

Hiromi said with slight irritation. The man laughed as Hiromi turned around.

"What are you saying you pathetic b-st-rd? The two month long hell has just begun. The angel that announces death and destruction has arrived in the land of sinners."

He said with a sadistic smile. That's right. Hell is about to break lose.

**-Chapter end-**

**Hey there! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of 'Facing Your Fears: AGAIN?!' I'm sorry it took so long! I want to thank everyone who read my first three stories and have proceeded with this one. Did you guys notice the connection between the stories?**

**As you can imagine, Hiromi is a very important character in this part. Can you guess who he asked to fix the bracelet? What is the price for this? Is he bipolar or what?**

**Oh, and just so you know, a beret is a kind of hat. It looks like the ones used by painters, you know, the thing on their heads...**

**Well, I actually have a lot of things to say, it's so much that I can't type all of them down. I'll make the next chapters longer okay? **

**Thanks for the wait! Thanks for reading!**

**Please review! Thanks! Ja-ne! **


	2. Welcome Home part 2

**Heya! This is my 2****nd**** update for today! I'm really excited about this story, so I'm kinda motivated to actually write it! Anyway, please enjoy it 'kay?**

Chapter 2

"Now look who we have here..."

She said with an evil smile on her face_. 'This is gonna feel so good.'_ She thought to herself. Mikoto dropped Kuroko to the ground.

"Onee-sama?"

She asked looking up to her senior. She then looked outside and saw a certain spiky haired idiot who was gaping at them.

"Oh no..." Kuroko silently cursed. She just knew where this was going and there aint no stopping Mikoto anymore. Anyway, Mikoto walked up to the glass window, shocking Uiharu and Saten.

"Mi-Misaka-san, please don't shock him. We're in a cafe with lots of people so..."

Uiharu said tentatively, while Saten nodded behind her. Mikoto Just looked at them with an innocent smile, which scared the crap out of them.

"Whatever are you talking Uiharu-san? Why would I shock this fine gentleman over there? I merely wish to speak to him."

She said rather lady-likely... which was kinda out of character... Uiharu just nodded nervously, not knowing what to do anymore. Mikoto beamed at her happily, before turning her attention to the person outside, who was still staring at them with his mouth agape. She just smiled oh-so-sweetly, before motioning her hands, urging him to come inside. No response. He just stood there like a statue. Her brows furrowed in an adorable manner, before an idea came to her head. She held out her hands and smiled as electricity cackled through it. Damn, she looks adorably scary. Uiharu panicked and hurriedly typed a message on her phone, sending it to Kamijou Touma. After a few seconds, Touma took a phone out from his pocket and read what seems like a message. Upon reading, his eyes widened and ran inside the shop.

"Uiharu, what did you send Kamijou-san?"

Saten asked. Uiharu showed her the message, it read : "Come in or die." Yeah, that could probably make anyone run for their lives. Anyway, Mikoto sat back down on her seat and ordered some tea before Touma arrived. A few seconds later he came to their table panting as he did. Seconds passed and he just stood there. Let me tell you something, it was damn awkward.

"So..Uhm..." –Touma

"Please, sit down Kamijou-san. Join us."

Mikoto said with that sweet smile of hers, that Touma missed so much, but scared him even more. Touma was forced to sit across Mikoto, Kuroko across Uiharu, and Saten is somewhat in the middle. The maid came back with two cups of tea and cake, and placed it in front of Touma and Mikoto. Touma was left wondering why he was given, when he hasn't even ordered anything.

"Eh? But I didn't-"

"It's on me Kamijou-san. Please, think of it as...a...friendly gesture from me. No harm doing that right?"

"Well...Yeah...I guess."

"Good then."

Mikoto said sipping her tea in a very lady like manner. Minutes passed by and all they could do was eat in silence. Touma would steal glances at Mikoto every now and then and think thoughts like,

'_I don't get it. She isn't mad at me at all! She seems...so...different... Maybe being in England made her mature more...'_

And whenever the word "Mature" was brought to his mind, his eyes dropped 30 centimetres below her head. Making him blush and turn his head. In normal cases, she would've killed him already, but she just smiled. She just kept on smiling, making everyone feel awkward.

"Uhm, Onee-sama..."

Kuroko tried to start a conversation but her efforts were brushed off when Mikoto spoke.

"So then, how has everyone been since I was GONE? Huh?"

Mikoto suddenly asked, bringing her tea down, startling everyone.

"We...we're fine Misaka-san. Just lonely without you around, but everything seems...I don't know...normal now." –Saten

"Yeah! That's right! Even crime rates have gone down! We hardly ever need Anti-Skill's help anymore!" Uiharu added excitedly. Mikoto just smiled again and spoke.

"Yes, I've heard about that. Kuroko told me all about it in one of her phone calls."

"Then, since you know we're alright, how about you, Onee-sama?" Kuroko asked, hoping to probably change the direction of the topics.

"Oh me? I've been fine. Hiromi started living with me ever since I went to study in England.

"The b-st-rd LIVED with you?!"

Touma accidentally said, a little too loud for his own liking.

"Please refrain from calling him that. Hiromi is my childhood friend. I've known him forever; he won't do anything to hurt me. While were in the topic, how about you Kamijou-san? How have you been for the past 10 months?"

"Miserable."

Mikoto's smile was now broken. She had expected him to stutter, or to say he was okay, and then she would press him further about what happened. Basically, she was gonna make him regret it. But his answer totally foiled that plan.

"What?" She accidentally muttered out.

"I said I've been miserable. Why can't you see that? Mikoto if you're mad please just tell me. Stop acting like you don't know me! Stop pretending to be someone you're not!"

"And you think you are in the right position to sermon me about this?"

She asked with an irritated look, seemingly forgetting the presence of her three friends.

"Look, I know what I did might be wrong and I'm really sorry. But, if you want to make thing awkward, try not to involve other people."

"Oh, boy. Here we go again with your MIGHT. Seriously, after all this time, you still don't realize the gravity of what you did? Might, might, might, might! All you ever say is might! Why can't you accept it?! That this entire situation was not caused by a mere MIGHT! What kind of position do you think we're in, KAMIJOU-SAN?"

"Miko-"

"Please don't talk to me like were acquainted, Kamijou-san."

"Fine then, MISAKA-SAN. All I'm asking is for you to listen! I-"

Touma's long speech was cut off when Mikoto's frog tone rang. She rummaged through her bag and flipped it open. She just sat there, staring at it.

"Onee-sama? Who is it? Why won't you answer it?"

Kuroko asked. Mikoto sighed and stood up.

"Its Hiromi. Please excuse me for a while."

She said as she walked away. Touma slumped in his chair and breathed a huge sigh.

"Damn, that atmosphere was tense."

He muttered.

"Are you alright Kamijou-san? Surely this isn't how you imagined to meet her after 10 months of separation."

Saten asked looking at him with pity. To their surprise, Touma smiled warmly.

"To tell you the truth, I'm really happy right now."

"What are you talking about now, you barbarian?"

Kuroko asked, she was still mad at him for making her Onee-sama leave Academy City.

"Well, I would've imagined her to either avoid me or face me with her facade personality. But earlier, she got pissed at me real good. Even though she tried to hide it, her true personality still resurfaces whenever I talk to her."

He explained as that smile never left his face.

"So, what are you planning?" –Kuroko

"Huh?"

"I meant Onee-sama. What are you going to do about her you moronic ape."

"I told you already didn't I? I said I'd get her back no matter what."

Touma said, with utmost confidence, making Uiharu and the others smile. MEANWHILE, in the girls comfort room, Mikoto entered and answered her phone. She took a deep breath before speaking.

"Hello? Hiromi?"

"Ah, Miko? Are you in Academy City now?"

Hiromi asked from the other side of the phone, Mikoto leaned on the sinks and looked at her aggravated reflection on the mirror.

"Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothing. You should probably meet up with Shirai-san, Uiharu-san and Saten-san at your usual cafe. I'm sure they'll be surprised to see you."

He said with a small laugh. Mikoto's eyes widened for a moment.

"I...I'm actually doing that right now. How did you know?"

"Eh? You are? I didn't know actually, I just thought that it was a good idea. Seeing as you did miss them a lot. Are you okay there?"

Mikoto still had doubts, something was off. Something was terribly wrong, she could feel it.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me. I'm more worried about you actually."

"Ha-ha. What could possibly happen to me huh? Anyway, could you listen to something carefully Mikoto?"

"Sure what is it?"

"**A beautiful angel descends, **

**A broken being waiting for amends,**

**Awaken them my love, **

**The powers from heaven above.** "

He recited it, almost like a song, but his voice was different, it sounded...darker and deeper... It didn't sound like Hiromi at all. Mikoto's mind and body froze; her eyes went dull as she listened to his voice. After seconds of silence, he smirked.

"Wake up, Miko."

Hiromi snapped his fingers and she was back to normal.

"Wait, what? What did you say again?" Mikoto asked holding her temples.

"Sigh, I was playing a song for you and you spaced out?"

"Sorry, sorry. Could you do it again?"

"No way. It's a onetime thing only! I'll call you next time okay? Bye!"

He said cheerfully before hanging up. Mikoto looked at her phone.

"He didn't even let me say goodbye. Sigh, what is wrong with him?"

She grunted as she stepped outside and walked back to the table.

"I'm back. Sorry for the wait." She said before sitting down. Kuroko and the others smiled at her.

"It's alright Onee-sama. What did Aizawa-san say?"

"To be frank, I don't know either."

She said sipping her tea. Everyone looked at her weirdly.

"Huh? What do you mean Misaka-san?" –Uiharu

"Now, now. We wouldn't want Kamijou-san to be left out from this conversation now do we? I do believe we were in the middle of an argument."

She said giving Touma a challenging look. Touma just gave an irritated grunt as he leaned back.

"But you know Miko-, I meant, Misaka-san, I'm actually interested in that bas-, Aizawa-san."

He corrected himself with a grunt. He really enjoyed calling him a b-st-rd. Mikoto shot him a glare before sighing.

"It's nothing really. I can't even remember much of our conversation. My mind just went...blank."

She said taking her fork. She was about to stuff a piece of cake into her mouth when her chest suddenly started burning, followed by an extreme headache. The girls were chatting away and Touma was the only one who noticed that Mikoto hasn't moved her fork away from her mouth.

"Hey Mi-"

But before he could finish it, sudden tremors could be felt. They were experiencing an earthquake! Glasses and plates started breaking and people started panicking. He looked at Kuroko, only to find that she had already teleported to the cashier and instructed the people on how to evacuate properly. Uiharu was beside her, probably calling the main headquarters or something. That left him with Saten and Mikoto. Saten seemed pretty calm, except the nervous look on her face. Well at least that was better panicking. He then turned to Mikoto, only to see her clutching her head, like she was in extreme pain.

"Mikoto!"

Damn all formalities. He could care less about them right now. His BiriBiri is currently in extreme pain and he doesn't know why. Due to his earlier shout, Saten looked at Mikoto and hurriedly slid next to her.

"Misaka-san? Are you okay?"

She asked, hoping that she would at least say yes, even if not. But no, she wasn't saying a word, meaning, she was in deep pain right now. Saten turned and saw that Touma was still wide eyed, looking at them.

"Kamijou-san! Please do something about Misaka-san!"

She pleaded. Touma was snapped out of his daze and hurried over to them. He knelt in front of her and studied her. She didn't have any physical injuries, which meant something was wrong inside of her.

"Mikoto, you need to tell me, what hurts?"

He asked holding her shoulders. She looked up at him, her eyes nearly muddled with tears.

"E..Everything... I don't know...Just everything..."

She breathed, gripping Touma's shirt in the process. He started to panic. Something was wrong. Mikoto could handle any form of pain, but this was a different case, she couldn't handle it.

"Mikoto...BiriBiri, look at me, I want you to look at me..."

He said holding up her face with his hands. She looked at him, pain was painfully clear and visible. He smiled,

"You're going to be okay. Trust me."

He said holding out his right hand to her heart. He removed her hands from her shirt. He unbuttoned the first button and blushed.

"Kamijou-san what are you doing?!" Saten nearly screeched. Good thing the people were too preoccupied with the earthquake that no one noticed what he was doing.

"Please don't think badly of me! I just need to check something! I won't do anything I swear!"

He said but quickly continued what he was doing. He pressed his right hand above her heart, and tried not to enjoy it too much. After a few seconds, her heart rate slowed down and she collapsed into his arms. The moment he caught her, the tremors stopped.

"What the hell just happened?" Saten asked, peering at Mikoto's unconscious form. Touma had no answer for that question. He just looked at Mikoto, a frown appearing on his forehead.

'_Something's wrong. Something is definitely wrong here!'_

He thought, nudging her closer, a silent clank was heard, coming from the bracelet she wore. Moments later, Kuroko and the others returned and they brought Mikoto to the hospital.

MEANWHILE, a lone figure wearing a black cape watched them from a mirror. The room was in a closed space, without open windows. The mirror, a table and a chair were the only things there.

"There, there. You'll be alright my dear." He said watching Mikoto's unconscious figure. He walked closer and put his hand to her reflection, caressing it. He smirked,

"Rise up and fight, my dear, dear Cielo. The time for revenge has come."

The person said holding out a bracelet with a key. Is this really the beginning of the end?

-chapter end-

**Yo! As usual I didn't proof read this, actually, I haven't proof read any of my works. Ahh, such a lazy writer... Anyway, I'm sorry I took so long to post this story. I got really hooked on reading books for some reason.**

**Okay, I'll stop my ranting right now... I hope you enjoy so far! **

**Please Review! Thanks! Ja-ne!**


	3. That girl's Premonition

**Hey there! Thank you for greeting this story warmly! (If that actually makes sense...) Thank you to all those who reviewed the previous chapters! Let's get on with the story kay?**

Chapter 3

"What the-?! Where am I?"

Mikoto asked herself as she opened her eyes. It was strange. The last thing she knew, she was in the cafe, and then there were tremors and then-. Blank. What had happened? Why couldn't she remember anything? She looked around, hoping to find someone to answer her questions. There, in one corner, was a girl.

"Uhm, hello? Could I ask a question?"

She asked. But the girl didn't even bother to look at her. '_She must be deaf or something... Hah, this just useless...'_ she thought. She decided to take a closer look at the girl. The girl wore a pure white gown was sitting all alone in the dark, cold room. Her feet and hands were tied by chains. She had beautiful long blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes (Imagine how the SISTERS looked like, when they still had long hair, prior to their birth). There was no furniture, no bed, no chairs, tables, or even any source of light. She just sat there all alone, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.

"Alright. What the hell is this? Some kind of experiment again?"

She asked no one in particular. This was just too damn convenient! What are the chances that you pass out go to a place you never knew, and then meet an Americanized version of you? There was only one answer. This had to be a dream.

"What a sick and twisted dream I'm having right now."

Mikoto said ruffling her hair and sighing.

"This isn't a dream."

A voice similar to hers, answered. Mikoto looked around, but saw no one, except the girl.

"What?"

Mikoto asked again. The girl looked up at her, the sad expression never leaving her face, which sent shivers down Mikoto's spine.

"I said, this is not a dream."

She answered. Mikoto bent down and looked at the girl. She definitely bore an uncanny resemblance to her.

"What do you mean? You can actually talk to me?"

"Yes."

"Then why didn't you answer."

"You didn't need an answer."

"What? Why?"

"Because you already know."

"Alright, alright. Listen up Blondie; I am confused as heck right now okay? I don't understand anything right now, and I'd appreciate it if you actually explained it normally."

Mikoto said, rather irritably. The girl stared at her, with the same sad expression.

"You are me." She answered shortly. Mikoto ruffled her hair and sighed,

"You-"

"Leave this place."

The girl said, not allowing Mikoto to finish her sentence. Leaving her more puzzled.

"What do you mean?"

"They're here. You need to leave."

The girl answered, the pain in her eyes grew even more. Mikoto felt bad for her, she was about to ask another question, until a group of people wearing black coats came bolting inside the room and pushed the girl down, so she was lying on her back.

"Oi, oi! What do you think you're doing?!"

Mikoto shouted as she stepped forward, hoping to stop them from whatever they were about to do. But the moment she was supposed to make contact with the man holding the girl down, she simply went through him.

"What the-"

Mikoto muttered in surprise. She then turned and saw what the people in black were trying to do. With metal stakes in their hands, some were knives; some were axes and such. Only one thing could be accomplished by doing that. They were trying to KILL the girl.

"OI! What are you-?"

"Close your eyes."

The girl whispered. Mikoto's confusion only grew more. The man holding the girl down raised his metal stake, ready to stab her.

"Do not hate. Do not trust. Do not be naive. Do not love."

"What?"

"Follow these rules. If you do, you will not end up like me."

The girl said with a desperate smile as the stake came closer to her chest. Mikoto could only watch in horror. There was nothing she could do.

"**I am not a possession.**

**I do not need your protection.**

**I am not a lifeless doll.**

**I shall not heed your call."**

The girl said before she took a deep breath. A split second before the stake came into contact with her heart, the girl looked at Mikoto, a few tears in her eyes.

"Please...please don't end up like me."

Mikoto's eyes dilated and widened in both shock and horror. She closed her eyes as the tip of the stake came closer, and closer and closer and-

"NOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Mikoto!"

Someone panicked and grabbed both her arms. Mikoto's eyes fluttered open, and she saw Touma, holding her arms, with a worried look on his face.

"What...where...that..."

She started mumbling words that he couldn't comprehend. Touma let go of her arms and held her shoulders instead.

"Mikoto, calm down. It's just a bad dream, I think..."

He said unsure of what to say. Mikoto took a deep breath and noticed that he still had a hold of her.

"Let me go."

She ordered, Touma obliged as he watched her examine her surroundings.

"Am I...in a hospital?"

"Huh? Well...yeah. I mean, you just passed out and we didn't know what was wrong, so we brought you here. We had Heaven Canceller examine you."

Touma said sitting on the edge of the bed. Upon hearing this, Mikoto panicked.

"He-Heaven Canceller?! What did he tell you?!"

"Eh? Why are you so mad? He just said that it was stress from jetlag. You were probably overtired or something."

"Oh, okay then..."

Mikoto said sighing as she slumped on the headboard of the hospital bed. Awkward silence.

"Where are Kuroko and the others?"

"Shirai-san and Uiharu-san were called to Judgement. I asked Saten-san to go home and rest."

"Okay."

Another stretch of awkward silence engulfed them. Both did not speak a single word. Every time they tried to make eye contact, they would turn away immediately.

"I was...extremely worried...about you..."

Touma started nervously. Mikoto glanced at his direction and saw him fidgeting with his fingers.

"What are you? A freaking school-girl in-love or something?!"

She accidentally said too loud. Touma nearly dropped dead from the bed.

"I was just telling the truth! You were in pain yesterday then fell unconscious! Then you were asleep for 17 hours!"

"Hold it, 17 hours?! I was asleep for 17 hours?!"

Mikoto said jerking forward, making her head swirl in pain. Touma held her shoulders once again and brought her head to the pillow, laying her down.

"Don't move too much. Yes, It's been 17 hours. It's 9 in the morning now. I don't know what happened to you, but I'm sure that it's not just jetlag. I mean, you were fidgeting and saying things in your sleep. For you to be like that,"

He said sitting back down then looking back at Mikoto with a serious expression.

"It has to be magic, right?"

"Hmm, dunno. By the way, you said I was talking in my sleep, what did I say?"

"Eh, well... It was some sort of...poem I think... what was it again?"

He said crossing his arms as he was thinking of it. Mikoto sighed,

"Never mind. You could ne-"

"I am not a possession. I do not need your protection. I am not a lifeless doll. I shall not heed your call."

He suddenly said as his eyes brightened. Mikoto's eyes widened.

"Yup, I think that was what you said. What was up with that? Is it some kind of line from Shakespeare or something?"

Touma asked, but Mikoto didn't answer. She just looked nervous for some reason.

"Uhm, Mikoto?"

"Huh? Oh, what was your question again?"

"Sigh, I asked if it was a line from Shakespeare or something."

He said with a serious face. Mikoto's face contorted into a smug look.

"Do you even know who Shakespeare is?"

"How much of an idiot do you think I am?! Of course I know him! He's the gay dude...who...who...uhm... he's the gay dude!"

Touma said with a conflicted confident face. Mikoto sighed.

"William Shakespeare was an inspirational poetic writer that wrote stories, mostly focusing on the tragedy of human life rather than the usual happy endings. He gave birth to a new form of perception regarding plays. He was a man, not gay."

"If he was a guy how could he give birth to... whatever you were saying earlier."

"Wow, I never knew you were this stupid. It was just a figure of speech. Anyway, just...forget about it. It...was just a line I read from a book back in England. No worries."

"Are you sure?"

"Y-yeah."

Mikoto answered but then felt pain in her heart. Her eyes twitched as she clutched her clothes. Touma hobbled over to her and examined her.

"Hey, are you okay?! What's happening?"

He asked. Mikoto tried to catch her breath first before speaking,

"C-could you get the pills? It's...it's in my bag."

She said pointing to her bag which sat on one of the tables in the room. Touma hurried over and grabbed the entire bag, handing it to her. When he came back, the pain had subsided a little bit.

"I just asked for my pills, not the entire bag." She snorted.

"Hey, I don't know what's inside your bag. I wouldn't want to see things I'm not supposed to see."

"Fine, fine. Whatever you say."

She said rummaging through her bag, until a knock was heard. They both turned and saw Heaven Canceller at the door.

"Well, it's good to see you again, Misaka-san. Oh let me rephrase that, it's good to see you awake again."

He remarked with a small smile. Mikoto smiled back as the doctor walked in and came closer to her.

"Thanks, Doctor Gekota. It has been awhile."

"Misaka-san, there's something I need to tell you about."

He said with a serious face, making Mikoto gulp then sigh.

"Okay then. Kamijou-san, would you mind leaving us for some time? You can go home if you please."

Mikoto said in her proper lady facade. The doctor had question marks all over his head.

"Kamijou-san? Since when did you call him Kamijou-san?"

"Long story short, I messed up and now she hates me."

Touma answered sighing.

"Hate you? Oh, so that explains why I haven't seen her. Now that's a shame. You even went through the trouble of looking after her overnight. You didn't even sleep; you just stared at her holding her hand. Some of the nurses were giggling and were gossiping about you, you know."

Heaven Canceller said checking some things on his clipboard. He didn't notice Mikoto's flushed face or Touma's pleading face to just stop talking.

"Okay, I'll just be outside then. I'm not leaving until someone else comes and watches over Miko- I meant Misaka-san over here."

He said standing up and walking to the door, until the doctor stopped him.

"No. I want you to hear this Kamijou-kun."

"Heaven Canceller!"

Mikoto protested. The doctor just faced her and gave her a stern look.

"I understand how you feel Misaka-san. I really do-"

"If you do then why are you doing this?!"

"It's because I am a doctor Misaka-san. I haven't examined you body for 10 months. A lot has happened, a lot has changed, I can't just sit by and not do anything."

"But..."

"No but's Misaka-san. I am your doctor, and if you want what's good for you, then please stay there and be good."

He ordered. Mikoto just crumpled the blankets in her hands, tears nearly making it to her eyes.

"Uhm, sorry, but...I don't understand what's going on..."

Touma asked scratching the back of his head. Heaven canceller sighed,

"Please take a seat Kamijou-kun. This is going to be a long chat."

Mikoto just brought her knees to her head as she tightened her grip on the crumpled blankets.

MEANWHILE, Judgement 177th branch was in utter chaos. People were typing on their computers, phone calls were being made, and a bunch of papers were scattered on the floor.

"Sigh, this is really troublesome..."

Kuroko said as she stretched her tired arms. Uiharu brought her a cup of tea and smiled.

"Here, it might make you feel better Shirai-san."

"Thanks Uiharu, but I think Onee-sama's presence would beat any other relieving method."

"Now, now. Misaka-san is currently in the hospital, she collapsed right after the earthquake didn't she? Besides, Kamijou-san is with her."

"I don't see how that can calm me down in anyway Uiharu. But speaking of that, I just checked out a few things. What we experienced yesterday wasn't an earthquake at all. The seismic waves didn't change at all, there wasn't even an epicentre detected."

"So, if there wasn't an epicentre that means that there wasn't a source of energy, meaning, no earthquake. But we felt it! It was definitely an earthquake!"

"Then maybe it's a part of that rumour!"

A voice suddenly said, joining in on the conversation. Uiharu and Kuroko turned their heads and saw Ruiko standing beside them.

"Saten-san, what are you doing here?" Uiharu asked.

"Well, Kamijou-san forced me to go home, Misaka-san is still in the hospital, you two are busy and I'm bored. So here I am."

"Must I remind you Saten-san that the Judgement office is not a place of leisure? It is a place of work and-"

Shirai was about to give her a sermon when Saten interrupted her.

"But you just when here to get your mind off Kamijou-san and Misaka-san, right?"

"Th-that is out of the question! Besides, I am a legitimate member of Judgement! I have every right to be here!"

"Now, now Shirai-san. Anyway, what rumour were you talking about Saten-san?"

Uiharu asked trying to calm things down.

"Oh that. That was actually the reason why I came here. I think it would be best if you guys read it for yourself."

Saten said with a worried look as she sat down on Uiharu's computer and typed away. After a while, she stood up and Uiharu sat down as she began reading.

"Uhm, let's see. Academy City's newest phenomenon! It has said that yesterday, at around noon, an angel came back to its home city. Its main purpose is to fulfil its reason for living, to eradicate things of a vial nature. I witnessed it myself. In a cafe District 7(I'm not sure if this is right. I get confused by the district numbers you see. So if I'm wrong then I'm sorry!) an earthquake which wasn't an earthquake occurred. The only affected area was the cafe itself. No one was hurt. It was a warning for all of us. The end of Academy city is upon us! Well that's what it says..."

Uiharu said leaning back on her chair.

"This is just preposterous! This is Academy City; angels are just beings in fairy tales here!"

Kuroko whined and reasoned. Saten took hold of her cup of tea, which she prepared herself.

"You should read the discussion thread about it." She said. The two obliged.

"_**Eh? Angels actually exist? In academy city nonetheless!"**_

"_**It's probably just an esper playing pranks or something."**_

"_**Then a level 5 maybe? But which?"**_

"_**I heard that the Railgun was there when it happened! She was brought out in a stretcher too!"**_

"_**The Railgun? Wasn't she involved in the accident nearly 4 years ago?"**_

"_**Yeah! That was when it suddenly started snowing! But it wasn't snow! It was just some sort of light. Anti-skill said they just apprehended some thugs but I don't think so. People say that they saw her fly off from a building and destroying it!"**_

"_**Wow, so she's some sort of monster then?"**_

"_**The Railgun's a she? She's a girl?!"**_

"_**Yeah, haven't you heard? She's an ojou-sama from Tokiwadai. She's a pretty damn cute one too."**_

"_**Sorry, heard she's already taken."**_

"_**Damn! :( "**_

"_**Do you know her name? I want to meet her! So she's gonna bring down Academy City? She must be stronger than the number 1 then!"**_

_**-click to see more (24,523 more threads)-**_

"What the hell is this?! Onee-sama's reputation is being tarnished with this!"

Kuroko ranted slamming the mouse of the computer.

"Calm down Shirai-san. Since Misaka-san has been mentioned here, it's against the law, so we can temporarily block the site to prevent anymore from seeing it-"

"Then check how many people have already seen it Uiharu." Saten said.

"1.4 million?! That's more than half of Academy City's population! How can it get this much feedback in less than a day?!"

"Shut it down this instant Uiharu!"

Kuroko demanded. Uiharu nodded as she typed off on her computer and after a few minutes, the site was shut down.

"What are we going to do?" Uiharu asked sighing.

"Ne, Shirai-san..." Saten asked. Uiharu and Kuroko turned their attention to her.

"Though we don't know much about what happened almost 4 years ago, Misaka-san...she...she really was an angel...right?"

"No...it can't be... Onee-sama..."

Kuroko said in a silent voice, her tone was filled with worry. She took a deep breath.

"Uiharu! Check the data of that site! Trace down the computer that uploaded that rumour! Find out who caused it, I'll take care of the rest. Saten-san! Use my computer and search for more rumours! If you find any, ask Uiharu to shut it down! Understood?!"

She barked orders, the two just nodded as Kuroko teleported off somewhere.

BACK TO TOUMA, he was still seated in the chair beside Mikoto's bed. Heaven Canceller stood beside Mikoto, as she sat on her bed, cradling herself as her fingers played with one another.

"Kamijou-kun, do you understand everything I just told you?"

Heaven Canceller asked, glancing at Mikoto for a second. He sighed and turned back to Touma.

"Kamijou-kun?"

"Do you...do you seriously expect me to believe such CRAP?! For four years! FOR FOUR DAMNED YEARS MIKOTO!"

He shouted standing up. Mikoto just flinched upon hearing his raised voice. Touma sighed, as his muscles relaxed.

"Well, aint this day full of sh-t?"

He asked in a sarcastic tone as he gripped his hands till they turned white.

-chapter end-

**I'll end it here, for now. Anywho... thanks for reading! What do you think huh? Thanks to everyone who reviewed this story! Yay! I typed this tight after watching TAKNR S ep 8, and it was freakin awesome!**

**Hmm,... what to say?**

**Nah, I got nothing.**

**Please review comment, suggest or whatever!**

**Thanks for reading! **

**Till next time!**

**Ja-ne!**


	4. Knowing the unwanted

**Hey! A lot of people commented on Touma finding out, let's see now shall we? Ha-ha. I'm evil I know that! On with the story!**

**Oh, before that, I want to apologize for the late update. School started and it is one heck of a pain in the butt people. Makes me want to wish for an endless summer. (transalation: endless anime time.)**

Chapter 4

"Well, aint this day full of sh-t?"

He asked in a sarcastic tone as he gripped his hands till they turned white.

"Kamijou-kun, I want you to understand. Misaka-san probably did something wrong, but at that time, it was best for everyone."

Heaven Canceller said placing a hand on Touma's shoulders. Mikoto was still hugging her knees, burying her face.

"Heaven Canceller, could you leave us? We have a lot to talk about."

Touma said facing the doctor with a stern face. Dr. Frog face just sighed as he walked out. Before stepping out,

"Kamijou-kun, just so you know, what Misaka-san did 4 years ago really left a heavy burden on her. Please don't make her feel any more pain."

He then closed the door behind him. Minutes have passed and both Touma and Mikoto haven't made a single move or said a word.

"For four damned years Mikoto. For four damned years, you hid this from me?"

Touma said, finally breaking the silence between them. Mikoto didn't say anything, her shoulders shrugged, but she didn't speak or look up. Touma gripped his hands harder.

"Look at me Misaka Mikoto."

He said stepping forward. After a few seconds of hesitation, Mikoto slowly lifted her head, revealing her pained expression and teary eyes.

"How could you just act like nothing was wrong with you? Why couldn't you trust me enough to tell me the truth?"

He asked, his face and expression contorted in both anger and hurt, as he met her gaze.

-flashback-

Heaven Canceller stood beside Mikoto's bed and faced Touma.

"Kamijou-kun, before I start, I want you to promise me that you won't hate anyone okay? You must remain calm."

"I'm fine with that, but what I don't understand is why you're both so serious."

"It's about Misaka-san's co-"

"Heaven Canceller please! Please don't do this!"

Mikoto pleaded at the last moment. The doctor just sighed as he looked at Mikoto.

"Misaka-san, if you won't do anything, then I'm gonna have to make the first step. So please just keep quiet."

"But-"

"Misaka-san."

He said sternly. Mikoto just lowered her head in defeat and continued burying her face on her knees.

"Ehem, as I was saying, this is about Misaka-san's condition. I know that you were having doubts about my diagnosis regarding her jetlag, right?"

"Uh, well, it's not like I don't believe in your ability or anything Heaven Canceller! I just-"

"Relax Kamijou-kun, you are right. I lied."

"What?"

Touma asked out of confusion. He looked at Mikoto and saw her shuddering, he decided to give his full attention to the doctor.

"Misaka-san experiences frequent heart palpitations, considering that her heart rate just drops at certain points and continues on. But rather than just being mere palpitations, it's more of like a heart attack, because of the degree of damage that it concurs on her. Are you following what I'm explaining?"

"Uhm, sort of. But could you please lay low on the med terms? I'm not much of a braniac to understand them."

"Good enough. As I was saying, Misaka-san experiences intense pain in her heart during specific periods of time, but they gradually ease up, just like what happened earlier."

"So Mikoto had a heart attack earlier?!"

Touma asked in a raised voice. Heaven Canceller sighed,

"No. I told you Kamijou-kun, it's not exactly a heart attack. It's more of a palpitation, with the effects of a heart attack."

"I don't understand it. If it's not a heart attack and also not a palpitation, then what the hell is it?"

"There is no scientific term for it."

"Why? You're a doctor aren't you? We're in Academy City! You should know everything!"

"We don't know what to call it, because it defies all the laws of biology, and probably the laws of science and the world even. I'm pretty sure I don't need to elaborate now do I?"

Heaven Canceller said sighing, how many times has he sighed already? He glanced at Touma and saw the look of horror, shock and pain.

"Magic. It's an effect of... Magic, right?"

He gradually mumbled out, while lowering his head.

"Yes. You are correct. And since it's from magic, there's nothing we can do about it. Not even your Imagine Breaker will be able to do anything."

"How long?"

"Huh?"

"How long, has this entire thing been going on?"

"For nearly four years Kamijou-kun. But I just want to clear something up, magic is not the cause, it's just an after effect. Ever since Misaka-san lost all her emotions as a human being, her heart faltered. That's actually a lot easier to explain. It's something that really happens to a human body."

"What?" Mikoto suddenly asked, lifting her head. Heaven Canceller gave her a look, something which she immediately understood. He turned back to Touma and continued.

" It's only natural after all."

"What part of this crap is natural at all?!"

"Well, let's use an example. If you failed an exam what would you feel Kamijou-kun?"

"Nothing. I mean, I fail all the time, so what's new?"

Touma answered straight forwardly, making Mikoto and Heaven Canceller shake their heads.

"In any case, for someone like Misaka-san, who is an exceptional student, that would completely lower her spirits, make her feel empty. But then, if she took another test and scored perfectly, she would be filled with joy. This kind of scenario would seriously tire out her damaged heart. Therefore weakening it in the process."

"So when Mikoto's heart was completely empty back then..."

"You showed up and practically bloated her with different emotions, without you knowing. Experiencing different emotions all at once tired her damaged heart. It's beats were too fast that the oxygen in her lungs wasn't enough, this automatically sends reports to her brain, the only response it could give was to send out sensory pains to her chest, making it feel constricted and painful. I already prescribed her some medicine to help ease the pain for her."

Heaven Canceller finished his explanation. Mikoto buried her head once again.

'_Thank you, Heaven Canceller.' _

She thought with a sad smile. Anyway, Touma was dumbstruck after listening to all of that.

"So...all of this... all of the pain she felt was my fault?"

"I already told you Kamijou-kun, don't blame anyone, don't hate anyone. Misaka-san chose this path, we should respect it."

"Will this affect her life? I mean, will she...d-die young or something?"

Touma asked gritting his teeth, he didn't want to hear it, but he had to. Meanwhile, Mikoto's eyes widened as she waited for Heaven Canceller's response.

"No. No, it won't."

The doctor said lowering his head.

"Okay."

The room was kept in silence.

-end of flashback-

Mikoto didn't answer Touma's question. They both just stayed in their positions, not moving an inch.

"Please say something. Mikoto. ANSWER ME DAMN IT!"

"Well what do you want me to say?!"

Mikoto finally answered back. Touma closed the distance between them.

"I don't know! At least apologize or explain or whatever!"

"Apologize? For what exactly huh Kamijou Touma? For keeping this a secret? For not telling you anything?"

"Well...I...I DONT KNOW!"

He shouted, sitting on her bed, vigorously ruffling his hair.

"I don't know what to think anymore! I'm mad at you, but I also know that this was my fault!"

"Then what do you want me to do?! Just tell me! Do you think it was easy for me to keep it a secret? I didn't tell anyone, not even Kuroko or my own family!"

"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"You would've done the same thing."

"That didn't answer my question!"

"Then ask yourself!"

Mikoto shouted glaring at him. She clutched the blankets even tighter. Touma just looked at her, surprised by her actions.

"Ask your damn self! If you were in my position, you would keep it a secret too! Just like when you lost your memories. Now you know how it feels like to be kept in the dark. To not know something happening to the people around you that you care about, you damn hypocrite!"

Mikoto panted, upon finishing. She had expected him to shout at her, to blame her for something, but no. He just sat there quietly. Minutes have passed and Mikoto's tears were falling from her cheek, one by one. She didn't even bother to wipe them off.

"Is there anything else you're keeping from me?"

Touma finally asked, after minutes, which seemed like hours, of silence.

"I don't have any obligation to answer you."

"Not even as a friend?"

"Are you even my friend?"

"I see."

He said standing up, Mikoto looked away. But she still watched him leave from the corner of her eye. When Touma was at the door,

"I'm just going to get some air. Can we please talk afterwards?"

"Don't tell anyone, and I mean anyone, about this."

"Sigh, okay then."

He said closing the door behind him and leaving the room. Mikoto listened to the pit-pat of his footsteps, until they were finally gone. She heaved a huge sigh, as she slumped back on her bed, hugging her soft pillow.

"You're really pissed huh?"

Mikoto said with a desperate smile on her face. She sighed before rubbing her head against the pillow.

"Then what would happen if you actually heard the real truth about it?"

She bit her lip, trying to stop a whimper or her tears from coming out, but they still did.

"I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry. I'm sorry...for lying to you...Touma..."

She said softly.*THUD* Mikoto hurriedly jerked forward upon hearing that. She looked around and thought that it came from the window. She looked closely, and saw something rose-colored suddenly disappear.

"Oh sh-t..."

She cursed, hoping that it was all just her imagination. She grunted as she tossed herself back on the bed, trying to get some much needed sleep.

IN JUDGEMENT 177TH BRANCH, Uiharu and Saten were doing what Kuroko had instructed them to do. Saten stretched out her arms as she read an article on Kuroko's computer.

"Ne, Uiharu..."

"Huh? What is it Saten-san?"

Uiharu asked rolling out from her computer using her chair.

"You've got another one to shut down."

Saten said yawning, before taking her cup of tea and sipping it. She heard Uiharu's desktop chair's (Don't know about you, but that's what we call it here...) wheels roll and move toward her.

"Eh? Another one? But that's the 24th one!"

"Don't worry Uiharu, it's the last one! Do your best!"

"Geez, people in Academy city don't have anything better to do huh? They just keep on posting about these rumours on the internet!"

Uiharu said as she fiddled with the keyboard, after a few more seconds, she was done.

"Cool! How did you do that so quickly?" Saten marvelled at Uiharu's speed in hacking and shutting them down.

"I was getting tired of doing the same thing over and over again, so I just made a program that does it for me. I used the older version and revved up its processing speed and viola! It's much faster than the original one!"

"So cool! But..."

"Eh?"

"Have you done what Shirai-san asked you to do? You know tracing the one who uploaded it in the first place?"

Saten asked looking at her flower headed friend, who just stared at her with a frozen smile. Saten sighed.

"You got too busy with that program that you forgot didn't you?"

"B-B-but! It's because you fond urban legend sites one after another so-so-so..."

Uiharu said, thinking of an excuse while she looked through the sites she hacked and shut down. One thing caught her eye.

"Alright, fine. Quit making excuses and just hurry up or Shirai-san will kill you, you-"

"Saten-san look!"

Uiharu shouted grabbing Saten's arm, shaking it. Saten spilled her tea and looked at the computer.

"What is it now Uiharu?"

"I found it! I found the person behind the rumour!"

She said beaming happily.

"What?" Saten asked dumbfounded. '_Why the heck do airheads have so much good luck huh?' _She thought.

"Who is it? Show me!"

She asked as curiosity got the better of her. While they were scrolling down, Kuroko teleported behind them.

"Ah, Shirai-san! Welcome back! Look! I found the-"

Uiharu greeted happily but was cut off when she saw the look on Kuroko's face,

"What's the matter Shirai-san? Is everything okay?"

She asked worriedly. Saten peered behind her and saw despair written all over her face. Kuroko took a deep breath and put on her serious face.

"It's nothing. Have you progressed? Report, now."

She demanded stepping forward. Uiharu and Saten were hesitant but they just obliged and turned to the computer. Kuroko grabbed a chair and rolled it to the computer.

"Uhm, while we were hacking and shutting down, we were looking around and found something. It was hidden in the earlier discussion threads, so we didn't notice it earlier."

"Well, what was it?"

Kuroko asked, seemingly interested in the news.

"We found out who wrote and spread the very first rumour about Misaka-san. He was careless enough to mention his name."

"Careless? You're too nice Uiharu. You should just say he was stupid." –Saten

"His? So the perpetrator's a guy then. Who is he?"

"Hmm...Let's see. His name is..."

Uiharu tried reading it but it took a while. Saten wondered what was taking so long, so she looked at the name.

"Wow, that's one difficult name. Is he an old English man or something?"

She remarked. After a few seconds, Kuroko decided to join in.

"Huh? It's Aviaries Veolia Anderwick."[Pronounced as Avery Vyl Anderwick]

"You can read it fluently Shirai-san?" –Uiharu.

"Well, yes. The only reason it's difficult to read is because you have to pronounce it while silencing and changing a ton of letters."

"Then why do you know how to?" –Saten

"It was in one of our lectures in Tokiwadai. I read it from a book in our library. But, if I'm not mistaken, he should have died in the 14th century."

"D-dead? So we're dealing with a ghost?"

Uiharu cowered in fear. Kuroko had this determined face again.

"Uiharu, check the internet for his bio data, if there are any other people with that name. It would be pointless to check the database, since he wasn't an esper."

She commanded. Uiharu obliged and typed off. Saten did the same and helped Uiharu search for it.

"Ah! Shirai-san! I found it!"

Saten said happily. Uiharu was surprised and moved over to her computer.

"Hmm, let's see. He was a noble man from the earlier 14th century, he was a well known scientist, but for some reason, he also had weird abilities, it was like performing magic tricks. But then, in the mid-14th century, he saved a girl from execution and they were both exiled. After a few years, his body was found dead, but he girl was never found."

"So he did die after all." Kuroko said, putting her fingers to her chin. Uiharu scrolled down and looked at the pictures. All of them were kind of gruesome with the image of a man, being stabbed. On picture caught her attention.

"Shirai-san! Look at this!" she pointed out. The three girls looked at the picture. It was the man, he was bleeding, holding the hand of a blonde girl, who was seemingly floating. There were chains linking their chests.

"Well,"

Kuroko said, smiling. The two other girls nodded.

"Girls, looks like we have a lead."

She said putting her hands to her waist.

MEANWHILE IN A ROOM without any form of light, two figures stood, both wearing black capes with golden embroidered designs.

"Never thought that they would find out, about you."

One of the men said.

"That's as far as they'll get. I won't let them learn about anything anymore, especially not about my love."

The other man said caressing the key in the bracelet he had on his wrist.

"I won't let them interfere. Not those girls, not that man, not even my beloved, not even my dear, dear Cielo."

He said with a wicked smile.

-end of chapter-

**Yo-ho! Well, I don't know why, but for some reason, I don't know what to say whenever it comes to the author's notes. I have a lot of things to say, but when I'm typing it, my mind goes completely blank...**

**Anyway, I got really inspired by the tons of videos I found on YouTube about Touma and Mikoto. Freak man, I was totally touched. Try searching on it, just type Misaka and Touma, a whole bunch of videos will appear. One of my favourites would be the love tribute. I don't know if I'm allowed to say this though.. Hah, never mind. Sorry if it's too short or what...**

**That's all for now! Thanks for reading! Please Review! Ja-ne! **


	5. Believing His words

**Hello! Just so you know, the names of the OC's for this story are all made up. I don't know if they coincide with other names okay?**

Chapter 5

"Agh, damn it..."

Touma said, covering his eyes with his palm. He sat outside the hospital, in a garden like place. Patients wearing hospital robes riding wheelchairs with their nurses accompanying them roamed around, seemingly enjoying the day.

"What the hell... Everything seems so peaceful, but after hearing that, I don't think I can even look at her straight in the eye. Let alone live my life in peace."

He said sighing. He looked up and saw birds flying freely in the sky, the big blue sky, white woolly clouds that floats around, and leaves dancing in the winds. He couldn't help but see the image of Mikoto smiling happily, the thought made him smile, but then another image of her being anguished in pain comes right after, making his heart feel constricted.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Mikoto..."

He said closing his eyes, feeling the cool breeze blow past him.

"Stop apologizing."

A voice suddenly said. Touma opened his eyes and saw Mikoto standing in front of him, wearing a white hospital gown with a light pink cardigan over it.

"Mikoto..."

"Sigh, can I sit next to you?"

She asked, holding her hands together in front of her. Touma nodded and scooted over, leaving space on his right side. Mikoto sat down and stared at the view.

"You should probably sleep you know." –Touma

"Same goes to you. You haven't slept either."

"I wasn't the one who passed out, nor am I the one who has heart failure for the past 4 years."

"It's not yet four years, I still have 1 month and 3 weeks, before the 4th year."

She said sighing and glancing over to him. He saw him nod and continue to space out.

"Aren't you gonna ask me why I came out?"

Mikoto said turning sideways a bit so she could face him. He flinched when he felt her knees slightly brushed past his.

"Why did you come out?"

"You didn't have to be so emotionless you know." Mikoto said, grunting as she did.

"Are you gonna answer it or not?"

"Alright Mr. Grumpy face. I came out here to talk to you."

She said with a serious expression, Touma sighed as he leaned back.

"Haven't we talked enough already?"

"Why? Does it hurt you, hearing everything I've been through for the past years?"

"Mikoto, please, please just stop it."

Touma said turning around, his back facing her. He could've sworn he felt her killing intent, but it quickly faded away.

"You seriously don't want us to talk about it huh?"

She sighed, standing up. "Just so you know, all I wanted to say is that; please don't tell anyone, no matter what happens. Even if they ask you, just tell them that you don't know anything. Especially Kuroko and my Mom."

She stood there, waiting for a response, but he didn't move. She sighed again, walked over to him, and ruffled his hair a bit. Touma looked up at her with a surprised face.

"Thank you, for taking care of me for almost 3 years. I was happy, and I have to admit, I hoped that it would last as long as it could possibly be, but I guess...something's...are just too good to be true."

She said with a smile and a slight blush. Mikoto turned away and walked to her room, waving at him. Touma watched as she walked away. He raised his hand to his head and caressed the part that Mikoto touched.

"Mikoto..."

He breathed in surprise.

MEANWHILE, Kuroko, Uiharu and Saten were in the library of Tokiwadai. They were looking for the book that contained the life of Aviaries Veolia Anderwick. (Why the heck did I make his name so hard to spell huh? Anyway, it's pronounced as Avery Vyl Anderwick)

"Ne, Shirai-san..."

Uiharu asked peeking out of the shelves of the gigantic library.

"Yes?" Kuroko answered.

"Are you sure it's really here? Even the librarian didn't know about it."

She complained they were sitting in the chairs, while being surrounded by a mountain of books that they scanned briefly, searching for that name.

"I'm sure it's here!"

"Then why don't you know the exact place where you left it Shirai-san? My back aches too much already!"

Saten complained as well.

"The truth is, I wasn't the one who borrowed it. Onee-sama was. I was rummaging through her drawer, doing my usual routine when I found it. It was bookmarked. When Onee-sama came home, I asked her what it was about and she told me how to read that name."

"Oh, so the two of you do share normal Senpai-Kouhai moments eh?" –Saten

"Sigh, yes, it would've been considered normal. If only she didn't realize that I was messing through her stuff and she shocked me for it."

"So, how long ago was that?"

Uiharu asked while stretching her arms. Kuroko put a finger to her chin and thought.

"Hmm, let me think..." her eyes suddenly widened. "It was... about 4 years ago. A few months after that angel incident."

After Kuroko said that, Uiharu went off typing on her laptop.

" So then, is it possible that Misaka-san knows what's really happening?"

Saten asked, Kuroko shaked her head sideways.

"Ah! Shirai-san! Look! I found something!"

Uiharu said showing them her laptop. Kuroko and Saten moved closer to read it.

"Let's see... "The Prophetic Angel" was written by Miliahelm Von Gurbent. It was the story about his best friend, Aviaries Veolia Anderwick, and a supposed angel during the 14th century. The angel was found and was subjected to immediate execution. During the angel's trial, she met Aviaries, and the two supposedly fell in love. Aviaries tried to rescue her by eloping and escaping the law, with the help of Miliahelm. They both managed to live peaceful lives for four years, but on their fourth anniversary, people came and killed Aviaries, the angel was supposed to get killed with him, but her body was never found. All events were narrated under Von Gurbent's narration."

Saten read aloud. Kuroko continued on to the second paragraph,

"Miliahelm was put into custody for helping the traitors, but he suspiciously went missing under the eyes of the public. This book was published in the early 18th century, so it is believed that Miliahelm lived until that time. There were only two copies of the book. The first burned down along with a church in England during the latter part of the 18th century. The 2nd book hasn't been found ever since the day it was published. It is said that the book can only be found by someone who can truly realize the value of it. So far, it has been missing for nearly 3 centuries."

She sighed after reading it. Kuroko sat back down on her chair,

"I don't get it. The more we find out, the more confused we get, and the more questions are raised. This is just getting hopeless."

"Then maybe we should look for more information about Miliahelm and that other guy. Man, Miliahelm's name is a lot easier to say than that other guy."

Saten said with a small smile. A cold wind suddenly blew past the library, making Kuroko and the other shiver.

"I don't get it. This library shouldn't experience stuff like that!"

Kuroko said teleporting metal spikes to her hands. Books suddenly flew to the desks from the shelves, their pages turning to a certain point. Words from those pages suddenly had lines over them.

"What is going on here? Is this an esper power or what?" –Kuroko

"Sh-Shirai-san! I think that this is-is... a g-g-ghost!" –Uiharu

"Calm down Uiharu!"

Saten said stepping forward, closer to the desk with the books.

"Hey guys! I think that the ghosts are trying to say something!"

She called, motioning her hands. The two followed carefully, Kuroko leading with Uiharu cowering behind her. Kuroko placed back her metal spikes and began to read the message.

"Curiosity...means...d...death..." Kuroko's eyes widened, but still continued. "Stop now...and live longer?"

The moment she finished, the 4 huge shelves surrounding them suddenly began to tip over. Kuroko and the others froze. The books fell on them, followed by the huge shelves, after a second, only a trail of dust was left. Tokiwadai students gathered to the disaster area and covered their mouths in shock.

MEANWHILE, Mikoto was lying on her hospital bed, thinking about everything that had happened. She knew something was wrong, but she didn't know what.

"That girl... who is she? Is she the one from that book? Might as well search for anything about them... I can't tell anyone from the science side about this. But, I don't have any connections with the Magic side. I don't know how to contact Josephine or anyone else for that matter. Sigh, who should I ask about this..."

She said, crossing her arms while deep in her thoughts. An idea suddenly popped into her head.

"Sigh, I just know I'm going to regret this. But I might as well try it..."

She said, taking out her phone and dialling a number. It rang twice.

"Hellooo~ Nyaaa~"

The man on the other side of the call said. (Can you guess who it is?)

"Hello there. It's been a while." Mikoto answered, trying her best to sound polite and calm.

"Oooh~! Never thought that you'd call me nyaa~! Have you finally gotten sick of my dear friend and decided to hit on me next?"

"You are such a b-st-rd sometimes you know that?" She said losing it.

"Wow, you sure are different from what you act like around my idiot friend!"

"Damn you."

"Thank you. So, are we just gonna flirt or are we gonna talk?"

"You do know that I can kill you right now right?"

"Right nyaa~. I am so scared right now. So, what can I do for you?"

The man from the other side said. Mikoto took a deep breath.

"I want you to tell me. Tell me, everything about Aviaries Veolia Anderwick."

She said with a serious expression. The man on the other side smirked, as he began telling her everything she wanted to know. Unknown to her, Touma was just outside her room. After over hearing a few things, he decided to just leave her be, for now.

"I wonder who Mikoto was talking to. She seemed pretty pissed at that person... she kinda seemed like she was having fun though...(idiot)"

He said, with his hands in his pocket as he walked the halls of the hospital. A flash of rose coloured hair suddenly appeared before him.

"Ah? Shirai-san?"

He asked, looking down at the Judgement girl, who happens to be Mikoto's kouhai, and a person who hates him to his guts.

"Oh, well. Hello there useless ape, barbaric idiot, insolent swine. Oh, I'm sorry, Kamijou-senpai. Are you still watching over Onee-sama?" Kuroko said with a glare.

"I won't say anything about the names you called me okay? About Mikoto, well yeah. If only she wasn't so stubborn. Anyway, what're you doing here?"

The moment he asked that question, Kuroko's expression softened in a serious way.

"I...came here to question Onee-sama."

"Question? As in for Judgement?"

"Yes. I'm afraid...Onee-sama might be involved in something we are investigating."

"You know, speaking of questions, do you know anyone or anything called...uhm...what was it again? I think it was A-avery vine or something..."

Kuroko's eyes widened, making him more confused.

"Do you mean Aviaries Veolia Anderwick?"

"Huh? Yeah, how did you know that?"

"Where did you hear that?!" Kuroko shouted.

"Hey, relax Shirai-san! We're in a hospital!"

"Answer my question you barbarian!"

"I heard it from Mikoto. She was talking to someone on the phone, but I don't know anything besides that. I couldn't hear anything from behind the door."

He said shrugging his shoulders. Kuroko placed an arm on her hip as she sighed,

"So basically, you were eavesdropping and intruding on Onee-sama's privacy? How pathetic."

"That sounded so ironic, coming from you Shirai-san."

Touma retorted as he leaned back on a wall.

"Anyway Kamijou-senpai, seeing as you know something about this, would you like to join us in our investigation?"

"Hah? Investigation? Sorry, but I'm not really into Judgement stuff."

"Oh, is that so? Would you refuse if I told you that we might find a way to help Onee-sama?"

Touma's head snapped forward and he met her gaze.

"Help her? What do you mean Shirai-san? I don't know what you're talking about." He said, making an excuse.

"Oh, please Kamijou-senpai. I know about Onee-sama's condition. I was outside Onee-sama's window when they explained everything. Don't even think about lying to me."

"Sigh, and Mikoto told me not to tell you anything. But you already knew everything."

"I don't know everything and neither do you Kamijou-senpai."

"What?"

"Onee-sama... She's been hiding this from us for a long time, it wouldn't surprise me if what she told you was just half of the truth or a complete lie."

"But Mikoto would ne-"

"Onee-sama would never lie to you? Is that it Kamijou-senpai? If that is what you're thinking then you are gravely mistaken."

"Shirai-san..."

"Have you forgotten the fact that Onee-sama had managed to lie to all of us during the thing with her sisters, and up until now, you are the only one who knows! If I'm not mistaken, she didn't say anything about it, you accidentally discovered it right? The angel incident and this is no different. She CAN and WILL lie to us, as long as she thinks it is the best for everyone. That's the kind of person she is. Even though it weighs heavily in her heart, she will burden the pain of lying to us, as long as she believes that she can protect us by doing so."

Kuroko said in a sentimental tone. Touma looked at her with worry and pity.

"Fine, then. I want to help. I want to help with your investigation."

He said with a determined face and a clenched fist. Kuroko smiled genuinely at him, for the first time.

"Well, I look forward to working with you then. We'll have another temporary truce for this."

"You know Shirai-san, I've been meaning to ask this, but what happened to you? You look beat up."

Touma remarked. Kuroko looked at her clothes and saw how dirty it was, dust covered it and there were a few rips on it.

"Oh, 4 shelves from Tokiwadai's library fell on Uiharu, Saten-san and me. I managed to teleport us away from it, but we all had a few minor scratches. Those 2 are currently in our headquarters, I wanted to ask Onee-sama myself so I came, but I guess she won't tell me anything anyway."

Kuroko explained. Touma nodded and thought about their situation.

"Hey, let's try talking to Mikoto. She should be done with her phone call by now."

He said as he walked back to her room. Kuroko followed behind him.

"What's the point of asking Onee-sama? She will just lie to us again you know."

"I know. But I think I can do something about it. When Mikoto and I...were...uh...together... she had a habit of leaving clues in the lies she tell. I never understood them, but with you there we might be able to piece things out."

"You can be such an idiot you know."

"Hey, its not my fault okay?"

He said as they neared her room. He slid open the door,

"Hey Miko-"

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT HUH?! YOU TALK ABOUT KILLING AND DESTROYING LIKE IT'S NOTHING!...UGH! DAMN YOU!...SHUT UP!"

She shouted hanging up. She closed her frog phone angrily and placed it to her forehead,

"I...I wasn't made...to kill... I don't want to kill anyone!"

She whimpered as her tears slowly cascaded down her face.

"Mikoto?"

Touma asked, as he stood from the doorway. Mikoto snapped her head back up, meeting his gaze. Her eyes were filled with tears, as her face clearly showed pain and sadness. Touma stepped forward, moving closer to her.

"Mikoto, who were you talking to?"

Touma asked with a serious expression. Mikoto's eyes twitched as her tears made their way out of her eyes. She sighed and gulped. When she opened her eyes, she did her best not to sound worried.

"I...I just..."

"Onee-sama?"

Kuroko asked, stepping from behind Touma. Mikoto's eyes widened as she hurriedly turned away from them. She rubbed the tears from her eyes, regulated her breathing and practiced a few smiles before turning back to face them.

"Oh, hi Kuroko. How's Judgement work going huh?"

She said with a smile. Kuroko was about to nag her about trying to hide the fact that she was crying, but Touma placed his arm in front of her, stopping her.

"Let me handle this Shirai-san."

"But Kamijou-senpai!"

"Please? Why don't you investigate or something?"

He asked, facing Kuroko. She just sighed as she walked out. Kuroko spared Mikoto one last glance before leaving the room. Once the door closed, not another sound was made. It was dead silent.

"Sigh, I can't believe this is happening again Mikoto."

Touma complained as he grabbed a chair and sat on it, facing Mikoto. She still had that tear filled look in her eyes. Her facade seemingly left the second Kuroko stepped out the door.

"Is this about that Anderwick person?"

"How did you know about that?"

Mikoto asked with a startled look. Touma just sighed_, 'Seriously, how many times do we have to go through this? I'm getting sick of this routine...'_ he thought as he lowered his head a bit.

"I overheard you talking on the phone earlier. I know this has something to do with the magic side you know. And I'm afraid Shirai-san knows too. There's nothing you can do to stop her."

"Kuroko?! She knows?! She's involved?!"

"Yes. Look, why don't I make a deal with you? Tell me everything that's bothering you and I'll stop Shirai-san."

"How can you do that?"

"Shirai-san invited me to join the investigation. I can secretly obstruct her from finding anything out. If she doesn't know anything, she's safe right? But if something does happen, I'll be there to protect her. I swear Mikoto. So, do we have a deal then?"

He asked with a serious face. Mikoto scanned his face for any sort of hesitation, there was none. She just sighed and leaned back on her bed.

"I'll trust you on that okay? Protect Kuroko, and probably Saten-san and Uiharu-san as well."

"I promise. Will you tell me?"

"Have you ever heard about the book called "The Prophetic Angel"?"

Mikoto asked, glancing towards his direction. She saw him shake his head, meaning that he didn't.

"It was a book written by Miliahelm Von Gurbent. It was about an angel and an ordinary mortal falling in love with each other. The man was Aviaries Veolia Anderwick, a well known scientist. Miliahelm was his best friend. Unfortunately, they were discriminated; they ran away from the law and lived normally. After 4 years, Anderwick was killed. So in his honour, Miliahelm wrote this book."

"What's so special about one book?"

"It's not just any other book you idiot."

Mikoto said, taking a small pocket book from her bag and handed it to Touma. He took it and examined it.

"What is this?"

"That's the book. When other people hold it, it's just a boring old book, but when I hold it, it changes."

"Changes?"

Touma asked. Mikoto nodded and held the tip of the book that was still in Touma's left hand. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Seconds later, the book shined blue. Touma was about to drop it and grab it with his right hand.

"Don't try it. If you do that, you might destroy the only chance of us finding out what's really happening. You wouldn't want that right?"

She said, eyeing him carefully. Touma just nodded and stayed still. Mikoto let go of the book and immediately fell on the bed.

"Mikoto!"

"Relax, I'm fine. After four years of being an angel, I can, or most likely, I need to control my angelic essence in any way I want it to. Though it is kinda taxing sometimes."

"How'd you get this book in the first place?"

"I found it in Tokiwadai's library, about 4 years ago. I was all alone back then, this book just glowed and it flew toward me. Ever since then, it didn't leave me. Even if I returned it, it would just re appear in my room. I guess Kuroko must've found out about this when she saw it 4 years ago."

"Shirai-san saw this?"

"Yeah. I left it open with a bookmark that I left my angelic essence with, so Kuroko managed to read it. She doesn't know it's magical or anything. And I would prefer it if things stayed that way forever."

"Alright then. So, about the book?"

"Oh yeah, I did some research on it, it had been missing for 3 centuries I think. It was said that the book will only appear to the one who can understand and value it."

"And I'm guessing that's you."

Touma asked, trying to comprehend everything she was saying. Mikoto had an irritated look on her face.

"I wish I was. Yes, that book responds to me, but every time I try to read it, there are always chapters that are blank. It doesn't want me to read it, meaning it doesn't accept me to be 'the one'. Like hell I'd care about it, but right now, I do."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you remember the poem that you told me that you heard while I was asleep?"

Mikoto asked, and Touma nodded again. Though he was eager to hear everything, he kinda had it all figured out, and he didn't like it.

"It was a line that the girl from that book said, and I'm guessing that's the same girl in my dreams."

"Why didn't you tell any of us about this?"

"I didn't because I forgot. Every time I try to read it, my mind gets erased from all memory of the story. But after what happened at the cafe, things started to make sense to me."

Mikoto said with a pained face, making Touma's stomach churn. He just knew it, he knew where this conversation was going.

"I...I'm that girl. I am Cielo Elizel Y'l Vlad."

She said with a sigh, Touma's head dropped.

"I'm the-"

"Prophetic Angel?" Touma said, cutting Mikoto off. She looked at him in awe before smiling a sad, pitiful smile.

"Yes. And I'm here to destroy Academy City."

-**Chapter End-**

**Okay, so let's leave it at that for now! **

**Now, Touma and Mikoto knows the truth. Or do they? How will Touma react to this? Will Mikoto really destroy Academy City? Who is the real villain in this story?**

**To tell you the truth, I don't know either, I just make things as I go in this story. Ha-ha. But don't worry, this wont be just my usual blabber okay? It will make sense. Oh, and I noticed that people have a hard time calling Aviaries by name, just call him Ave or Avery. It's a lot easier.**

**Okay, so that's all for now. Thanks for reading! Please review! Till next time! Ja-ne!**

**Next chapter: Mikoto goes to school! But whose? Touma and Mikoto has a riot on their hands! **


	6. Dealing with a riot

**Hey there! Okay, so this chapter is one of my favourites, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!**

Chapter 6

"I...I'm that girl. I am Cielo Elizel Y'l Vlad."

She said with a sigh, Touma's head dropped.

"I'm the-"

"Prophetic Angel?" Touma said, cutting Mikoto off. She looked at him in awe before smiling a sad, pitiful smile.

"Yes. And I'm here to destroy Academy City."

She said facing him. Touma was confused, how could she smile like that at him? Mikoto turned away before speaking,

"So, what will you do then? O great Hero of Academy City? Will you purge this evil angel and send her back to her fake, artificial creator?"

She asked. She was doing her best to sound cheerful, biting her lip, trying to contain a cry that she desperately needed to release. A cry that she had been relentlessly trying to stop ever since she found out the truth to her purpose, which was to destroy the one city that she loved and considered her Home.

"No. No I won't."

Touma suddenly answered, making Mikoto turn to him.

"What?"

"Angels are beings that were sent to earth by their creator right? Then, I'm going to escort you back to hell you got dragged to, beat the crap out of that fake creator of yours, and then drag you away to make sure that you never have to deal with such crap ever again."

He said with a determined face. He's too innocent, Mikoto thought. He's too kind, too naive, too pure for the darkness of this world, she thought. She thought and thought, but the words never came out of her mouth. She never had the courage to say those words, because she was afraid, afraid that he might be gone if she said so. She was afraid of a lot more things, things she couldn't explain or understand. Mikoto just sighed for the n'th time.

"You really are something else, Kamijou Touma." She breathed. Touma smiled as he looked at her,

"And you are a definite pain. You could've told me this earlier you know."

"I'm sorry. I just never had the courage to do so. I was scared of how you might react, or anyone else for that matter. So I kept it to myself."

"That's not healthy you know."

"Like you're one to talk."

Mikoto grunted, shooting him a glare. They both stared at one another for a moment before they both broke into laughter. Mikoto held her stomach as she wiped away the tears in her eyes.

"I-"

"Well, seems like you two lovebirds finally made up eh?"

A voice suddenly said, making Touma and Mikoto turn their heads while blushing. Heaven Cannceller stood at the door, reading some files.

"Heaven Canceller! You should at least knock!" Mikoto complained, with a beet red face.

"Oh? But if you were changing and I didn't knock and just went in, I could've seen quite a view don't you think?"

"PERVERTED DOCTOR!"

Mikoto shouted throwing him her pillow, sending a few feathers into the air. He removed the pillow on his face and sighed, he glanced over to Touma, who was giving him a death glare.

"Relax, both of you. I was just kidding around. Can't an old man have some fun? It was just a joke okay?"

"Well it better be."

Touma said, still glaring at him. Heaven Canceller let out a small laugh.

"Don't worry Kamijou-kun, I wouldn't want to get socked in the face by that right hand of yours. But seriously, you are quite protective of Misaka-san aren't you? You must lover her very much."

He commented, taking note of their reactions. It took about a second for Mikoto to get over it and breathe.

"What are you doing here anyway Heaven Canceller? My check up is done."

"Yes, yes, I know that Misaka-san. I just came by to tell you that you can leave now."

"Eh?"

Touma and Mikoto said at the same time.

"Well, nothing seems wrong with you. Just continue your...basic medications and you'll be fine, for as long as I told you." He said with a somehow worried face. Mikoto just closed her eyes and exhaled, before smiling and muttering a thank you.

"For as long as I told you? What's that supposed to mean?"

Touma asked, raising his hand. The doctor and Mikoto both looked at him.

"Oh, it's nothing. Anyway, I've already made...arrangements for the both of you, so you can go. Both of you are still students, so you need to go to school. Normal high schools don't have classes because of the earthquake, but I think your school didn't announce anything. So hurry along, you can still make it to your afternoon classes."

He said stepping out of the room, with a sly smile. The door closed and the tow just stared at it.

"He's planning something isn't he?" -Touma

"You got that right."

Mikoto answered as she stood up and grabbed her Tokiwadai uniform, which was brought by Kuroko the other day. She was about to get changed, but Touma just sat in his chair, texting.

"Ehem." Mikoto fake coughed, catching his attention. He looked up to her, and saw her making this cut little grumpy face, with her arms across her chest.

"Yeah? What's up Mikoto?"

"What's up? You are asking me, what's up?"

"...Yeah?"

"Are you that much of a barbarian to not notice it?! I am about to change clothes!"

"Yeah so what?"

"SO WHAT?!" Mikoto shouted angrily, blushing as she gripped her hands. "GET OUT YOU PERVERT!"

"But what if something happens? Look, don't get me wrong, I am a healthy teenager with a healthy attitude towards women, especially pretty ones like yourself, but I can keep my hormones in check you know. I need to be here in case something happens."

He explained, yes, what an idiot he is. Mikoto blushed upon hearing the compliment he gave her and turned her head, grabbed her clothes and stomped her way to the bathroom door.

"F-F-F-FINE! But don't you dare peek or I will kill you! PERVERT!"

She shouted, blushing, before slamming the door closed. Touma laughed and smiled at the door.

"You know, I was expecting you to kick me out, but I guess you do want me around eh BiriBiri?"

He thought blissfully. A few minutes later, Mikoto came out of the bathroom, all dressed and ready to go. As they were walking out, in the hallways of the hospital, they couldn't help but hear and see the smiles, laughs, blushes and snickers from the nurses and other patients. The two of them just ignored this, with a blush, and continued to make their way out. Not making eye contact. When they were walking downtown,

"Ne, Mikoto?"

"What the hell do you want?" Mikoto answered, still blushing, but she was lowering her head to hide it.

"Why are you so grumpy all of a sudden?"

"Are you gonna ask me a question or are we gonna talk about my mood?!"

"Fine, fine, relax will you BiriBiri. I just wanted to ask you if you thought something was weird about what that doctor said."

Touma said, Mikoto looked up to him, the blush still slightly apparent.

"Now that you mention it, he said 'your school', it should be 'your schools' right? We do go to different ones. You go to a university, while I go to Tokiwadai's High school division."

"I know. He wouldn't do something stupid like put us in the same school now, would he?"

"Oh please, I can't even I imagine what it would feel like to go to the same school as an idiot like you."

Mikoto said as she huffed and crossed her arms, to her surprise, Touma laughed, making her confused.

"You lose your screws or something? Why are you laughing you idiot?"

"Well, it's just...how do I put this... You just called me 'idiot', right?"

"Yes. What's wrong with calling an idiot an idiot huh? Got a problem?"

"You know that's not how I meant it."

Touma said with a smile, which made Mikoto's heart skip a beat, blush and turn away, which only amused him even more.

"I'm glad. You called me idiot again. You decided that we should be more formal with each other didn't you?"

Upon hearing that, Mikoto blushed and flinched.

"I-I..it's just that...you...I...uhh..."

"Ha-ha. It's fine Mikoto. I'm just glad okay? It's been 10 months since I last saw you, but when I do, you hate me and treat me like a stranger, I just felt uneasy about it, that's all."

Touma said with a nervous smile, before he stopped walking. Mikoto stopped walking and looked ahead, they had arrived at the gates of Tokiwadai. This was the end of the journey for both of them. She didn't want him to leave, but how could she possible say something so embarrassing?

"Well, seems like this is the end of the line for us then."

Touma said with an obviously sad smile. Mikoto couldn't help but giggle for a bit. Question marks were all over Touma's head.

"Why are you giggling Mikoto?"

"You...you look like you don't want to leave. You look like a little kid whose Mommy is about to leave, cute little Touma-kun! Ha-ha!"

She said patting his head. Touma's eyes widened, seeing Mikoto giggle and smile like that was...priceless. Bad things are bound to happen to her, and that makes him worry, but seeing her smile like that, it makes everything seem like a lie. It gives him hope, that he can protect her, that he can smash the illusion that makes her suffer.

"It's the RAILGUN, I think!"

Someone shouted. The two stopped and looked back. They saw a group of people, mostly made of men, carrying cameras, staring at them. Touma gulped.

"Please tell me that those people are just part of your worshippers and that they won't end up chasing us all around town..."

"I'm sorry, but I don't think that they are..."

"IT'S HER, probably! SHE'S THE REAL THING!"

They shouted and ran toward them. They both muttered 'Oh crap!' before dashing off.

"What the heck Mikoto?! Why are they after you?!"

Touma panted as he ran across the sidewalks, with Mikoto closely beside him.

"The hell do I know! I'm just here to go back to school! They aren't supposed to be part of the welcome committee!" she shouted back.

"Onee-sama!" a familiar voice shouted. The next thing Touma knew, Mikoto was no longer beside him. He looked around and saw Mikoto on the other side of the tall fence of Tokiwadai.

"Kamijou-senpai!" Kuroko said appearing beside him. "I'll teleport you in the school okay? I'll explain it then."

"Not to ruin this Shirai-san, but you can't teleport me remember?" (There, I said it kay? I finally remembered to write it this time!)

"Then how are we supposed to do this then?!" she shouted angrily, before Touma could answer, a huge hand, made out of iron sand, grabbed him and brought him in to the school, Kuroko teleported herself in and they hid behind a tree. They watched in silence as the horde of angry mobs ran past them, searching for Mikoto. But of course, they'll never find her. She is inside Tokiwadai right now. When the mob was finally gone, Touma and Mikoto slumped on the trunk of the tree.

"Mind explaining what that was all about?"

He breathed, panting hard as he did. Mikoto just grunted and glared at him.

"I already told you, how the hell could I know?! It's not like I want to get chased by a mob!"

She shouted back. Kuroko sighed as she watched the two argue and bicker. _'It's kind of hard to believe that they were actually together. Oh well, that's a tsundere and an idiot for you...' _she deadpanned. But then remembered the purpose of them being here.

"Onee-sama? Did you just say you came back here for classes?"

"Yeah, I am still a 2nd year high school of Tokiwadai, despite transferring 10 months ago."

"Is that so? Then I can share a room with you once more Onee-sama? I can live in the same space as you? Breathe the same air you do? Lo-"

"Kuroko..."

Mikoto whispered frighteningly, a dark aura appearing behind her, which of course scared the crap out of her. Kuroko just shuddered and zipped her mouth.

"Good, let's ask the principal about this. I don't know where I'll be staying or what class I'm in. Things have changed ever since I left."

"So, then, am I supposed to leave now?"

Touma asked raising his hand. Mikoto and Kuroko looked at him, before looking at one another.

"I guess you can leave Kamijou-senpai. I can take care of Onee-sama from here on out."

Kuroko said happily, obviously with perverted, ill intentions. Mikoto cracked her knuckles, bringing Kuroko back to her senses, for the time being. Touma was hesitant on whether he should leave or not...

"You know, maybe I should stay b-"

-"I'll be fine, Idiot. You can go."

"But Mikoto..."

"You're an idiot. I don't need to tell you that. You already skipped your morning classes because of me. I can't have you blaming me if you do fail."

She said with her arms crossed and with a blush on her cheeks. Touma and Kuroko had the same thought on their minds, 'So tsundere, so cute...' Touma ruffled his hair before looking at the two girls.

"Okay then, I'll leave her in your care Shirai-san. Please don't do anything weird okay? Please don't pick fights and please behave. It's your first day, don't get into trouble."

"What are you? My mother or something? I already told you I'll be fine."

"Fine. Well, see you girls later? I'll try to come and pick you after class okay? Ja!"

He said walking away with a wave. Mikoto stared at his retreating figure with a pout. She actually didn't want him to leave, but that's too embarrassing to say. She then remembered something she forgot to do. She rummaged through her pocket and took out a small keychain.

"Oi! Idiot!" she shouted, raising her arm and throwing something. Touma looked back and immediately noticed the small green thing flying towards him. Due to his good reflexes, he was able to catch it in time.

"What the?" He asked himself as he looked at the thing in his hands. It was a Gekota keychain. Gekota had a spiky back wig, wearing a black jacket, orange undershirt and black pants. Touma sweat dropped.

"Uhm, what is this?"

"Isn't it obvious? It's Gekota! I saw it in a store in England. It...reminded me of...you and I...I bought it on impulse... I just thought that an idiot like you needed something cute in his life every once in a while okay?!" she shouted in her usual tsundere fashion. Kuroko turned pale, while Touma just smiled, muttered a thanks, and left.

"I already have something cute in my life Mikoto, and that's...you."

He said silently, as he walked down the streets to his university. He made a few turns and after 15 minutes he was there. He walked leisurely along the halls and corridors of the school, still holding onto the Gekota keychain with a stupid, genuine smile on his face. After about 20 meters of walking through the hallways, he turned right and entered his room, still in a daze.

"Well, well, well Kamijou-kun. Acting all cool now are we?"

A voice suddenly said. Touma was finally snapped out of his daze and looked forward, only to see an old woman in a lab coat. Her gray hair was tied in a half ponytail, tied up by a pink ribbon.

"Ah, Doctor Pyonko."

He greeted non-chalantly. The entire class bursted into laughter, while Touma was left clueless.

"How many times...do I have to tell you... I DO NOT LOOK LIKE A FROG CHARACTER!"

The old lady said popping a vein. Well, in all honesty, she did look like Pyonko (Gekota's girlfriend ahahahaha). She was Heaven Canceller's classmate back when they were still studying in the same university Touma attends now.

"Ah, come on Pyonko-sensei. Heaven Canceller already accepted the fact that he looks like Gekota, be true to yourself and just admit that you're like Pyonko okay?"

"Kamijou-kun..." she said in a menacing tone. "Do you seriously want me to fail you this semester? Just one more failed quiz and its all over."

"Ahh, come on Heaven Arbiter. (Get it? Heaven Canceller (Gekota) and Heaven Arbiter (Pyonko) oh man...) It was just a joke! I do plan on graduating on time."

"Very well. Sit down, I have an important announcement for everyone."

She demanded. Touma bowed before heading back to his seat. He took a sigh after finally settling down.

"You still haven't changed now have you Kamijou? Still as idiotic as always." A female voice beside him said.

"Nyaa~ That's Kami-yan for you..."

"Well, atleast the Kami-yan disease has subsided. (Came from A Mirage to Keep You Safe)."

Two oher male voices added. Touma just glared at the three people who had happened to sit beside him on both sides and in front of him.

"Like you're ones to talk, Fukiyose the Amazon woman, Tsuchimikado the sister complex b-st-rd, and Aogami the maid maniac."

He said glaring at the three who just gave him different looks of indifference. They've been together for 4 years, even now in college. Touma then sighed and tried to pay attention to the doctor in front, but the keychain always stole his attention.

"Okay, as for my announcement. We have a new addition to our class. An old perverted geezer asked me to take in someone who has advanced grades and is in the middle of a certain situation where she cant go to her usual school. I hope that you will all be nice to her. She is important to Academy City and is 2 years younger than all of you, so be a good role model alright?"

As the doctor's announcement ended, chatter erupted from the class, mostly coming from the males.

"Hey, so the transferee's a girl right?"

"Yeah, hope she's cute!"

"But what kind of situation would make her leave her old school?"

"She must be a delinquent or something."

"Ah, a hot delinquent! Just what this class needs!"

"SHUT UP!"

The doctor shouted, the guys shut up and sat properly. The doctor coughed, before resuming.

"That's odd. I wonder what's taking her so long? That old geezer said that she should be here by now?"

She asked herself staring at the door. Everyone did the same and waited for it to open and reveal a hot delinquent who was barely clothed (according to their imagination).

"-ko! I am going to kill you!"

A female voice suddenly sounded with in the room. They were all startled, and turned their attention to the centre stage of the room. A girl with long hazel hair, wearing Tokiwadai's high school uniform stood, along with another girl in the same uniform, her rose colour hair was tied into pigtails by two red ribbons.

"Ah, Misaka-san, you made it just in time. With Shirai-san as well. Everyone, I want you to meet Misaka Mikoto. She's gonna be a ort of this class for the rest of the year."

Dr. Pyonko said pointing to Mikoto. Everyone stared at her at first, then back to Touma , who was still day dreaming about the keychain. They stared at him for a while more, before Fukiyose (who sat infront of him) stood up and walked over to poor Kamijou.

"Kamijou?" she asked, no response. She sighed before taking out their calculus textbook. (Trust me, I saw a college grade one, and it was enormous.) she swung it right at his head and smacked the top of it.

"OW! What the hell, Fukiyose?!"

He shouted, still gripping the keychain protectively in his hands. Fukiyose placed her hands on her waist as she had on an irritated look on her face.

"Look up front you idiot! Stop daydreaming!"

She shouted. Touma caressed his bruised head, before turning it slowly forward. His eyes widened as he saw who was in front.

"Mi-Mikoto?"

He asked. Mikoto blushed and just turned away. Kuroko stepped in front of her Onee-sama protectively.

"Ehem, allow me to explain Onee-sama's current situation."

"Onee-sama?" Everyone else sweat dropped.

"I am Shirai Kuroko, her kouhai and a member of Judgement. Onee-sama has been the focus of a certain rumour which is untrue. A mob of people are currently after her, hoping to get a picture of her to post on the internet. Everyone already knows that Onee-sama goes to Tokiwadai, so keeping her there any further would be dangerous. So on her behalf please take care of my dear Onee-sama."

She said bowing politely.

"Aww, what a cute kouhai! Looking after her senior like that..."

A boy commented, everyone readily agreed. Mikoto and Touma snickered.

'_Yeah right. Wait until you hear the rest of that speech...'_ Mikoto thought.

"As I said, please do take care of her. But please don't touch her, do not defile her gracious skin, for it is more precious than silk. Do not flirt with her, if you still value her life. If you have any plans of courting her, please inform me first so that we can have a proper... chat, about it. If you ever lay a finger on Onee-sama, especially that useless ape on the 4th row, please be prepared to die. I will not allow any form of insolence towards Onee-sama, am I making myself clear? If not, please come here in front and I will explain it to you, using necessary violent measures of course."

She asked in a sweet smile, making her look like a yandere. Everyone just nodded their heads in fear. Making Dr. Pyonko chuckle., Touma smile and Mikoto sigh.

"Kuroko, that's enough. Hurry back to Tokiwadai and study or something, I'll still see you at home anyways."

"Very well then. I just hope that everyone got the message I was trying to give. Those who cross the line, will cross the border between life and death okay? If you'll excuse me."

She said bowing with a smile before teleporting away. Everyone from the class released their breaths, slumping on their chairs. Dr. Pyonko clapped her hands together, catching everyone's attention.

"Alright! About Misaka-san, no one else is allowed to hear a word about her being here alright? If those people after her find out where she is, I'm going to dissect all of you, understand?"

"Y-YES MA'AM!"

"Good. You might wonder what kind of people are after her and why she's running away, despite being a level 5, and the 3rd one for that matter, but just remember that the people she is up against are normal level 0's. No harm must be done okay? Well, let's get on with the lesson okay? So, Kamijou-kun, I want you to take care of Misaka-san."

The doctor said turning around to the whiteboard. Murmurs erupted from everywhere. Mikoto, upon hearing this lowered her head in shame and embarrassment, while Touma had the "I-wanna-punch-all-your-damned-faces look on his face.

"Uhm, sensei, if you didn't know-"

A male student said raising his hand. Dr. Pyonko just glared at him, crushing the marker in her hand.

"You interrupted my class... do you know the consequences of that? Huh, Izaki-kun? (Dont worry, he's a normal classmate. He's not that important.)"

"B-but... Kamijou and-"

"Kamijou-kun and Misaka-san used to date. But Kamijou-kun had messed up and now here we are. So what? Past is past. You guys may have not gotten over it yet, but those two did. Learn not to mess with crap that isn't yours."

She said, facing the entire class. Izaki put down his hand and lowered his head. Everyone was quiet.

"That goes to all of you as well. It's their past, not yours. So if I hear any more talk about this, be prepared to face the consequences. Understood?"

"...Yes Ma'am..."

"I DIDNT HEAR YOU, YOU MAGGOTS!"

"YES MA'AM!"

"Good. Well, now then Misaka-san, sit on the right side of Kamijou-kun. Tsuchimikado-kun, sit in the chair in front of you, beside Fukiyose-san."

Dr. Pyonko said with a small smile. Mikoto nodded and made her way up, feeling the stares of the other students piercing through her. She just hurried through, her head held low, quickly sitting beside Touma. He and Mikoto didn't move or speak. They just looked in different ways, avoiding each other's gaze. Everyone was looking at them, up until Dr. Pyonko shouted, announcing that classes were beginning. Most of the students' payed attention to the lesson, allowing Touma and Mikoto to breathe.

"Oh, god... what the hell did we do to deserve this?"

Mikoto asked, laying her head on the table. Touma merely smiled at her and stared at her relaxed figure.

"Hey, I'm just glad that-"

"Ah, Misaka-chan..."

A familiar annoying and irritating voice said. It was too familiar for Mikoto, making her brows furrow in anger. Touma sighed and cursed "Oh, sh-t...". Mikoto took a deep breath, before slowly turning her head to the person seated behind and above her. (College classrooms are, usually, circular in shape. The chairs are placed in stair steps, with the tables connected on each row. PM me if you still don't get it.)

"Hiiii~!"

The girl said sweetly yet irritating. An irritated mark appeared on Mikoto's forehead as her eyes met with the girl who had long copper coloured hair. She had a smile on her face, despite her irritation.

"Well, well, well. How have you been..."

Mikoto asked, tightening the grip on her skirt, before continuing.

"Sumine-san?"

Sumine Mika merely smiled at the younger girl, mischief stirring in her eyes. Oh yeah, catfight!

**-chapter end-**

**Okay, out of all the chapters that I wrote, this has got to be the one with the corniest ending... ah well... I don't know why, but I just feel like updating these. Chapters 4,5 and 6 were actually finished last week. I was just too lazy to upload it...ahh...**

**Anyway, I was laughing my butt off because of Heaven Canceller and Heaven Arbiter. I just had the sudden urge to do that. Just imagine it! An old woman and old man looking like a frog couple! Oh man, what do I have to do to see that in the real anime?**

**Oh, and by the way, I would like to recommend to all of you "A Mirage to Keep you Safe" written by CrossFaded. The Kami-yan disease came from his story. I hope I didn't offend you by using that. **

**Oh well, I hope you enjoyed it. Oh yeah, the wretch is back for more... The cast is mostly completed! Let's do this! Wooo!**

**Thanks for reading! Please Review! Ja-ne! **


	7. The will to do anything

**Yo! Wahahaha! A lot of people sure hate Mika huh? Nyah, don't you worry. She will get socked in the face, one day. I just don't know who would do it. Like I said I don't have a solid plot line for this. I just make it as I go. But I do want her to... okay, maybe I'll stop. I don't want to sound like much of a sadist. You'll understand in the future chapters, hopefully. Oh, and I'd like to thank werewolf2005 who pointed out that the setting I described was actually a type of lecture hall in college. I'm still in high school so I didn't know about that... thank you also to all those who reviewed last chapter!**

**Anyway, let's get on with the story kay? **

Chapter 7

"Well, well, well. How have you been..."

Mikoto asked, tightening the grip on her skirt, before continuing.

"Sumine-san?"

Sumine Mika merely smiled at the younger girl, mischief stirring in her eyes. Mikoto couldn't help but glare at the girl sneering at her, like it was nobody's damn business. Ah, how good would it feel to shock her and blast a Railgun right through her skull then- Okay, calm down... Mikoto thought.

"Ah, I'm very much fine Misaka-chan. Touma-kun here has been taking such good care of me~!"

Mika giggled; tilting her head to the side, pretending to be cute, acting like she was some kind of Lolita but no way in hell would she be like that. (Yeah, sorry. I kinda hate her too...)

"I did not such thing Sumine-san! So please just stop it and stay away from us!"

Touma growled, obviously pissed at her, but she just couldn't take a hint. Well actually, she already took it, she's just too much of a wretch to accept that. So she just pretends to act all innocent and cute. Mikoto was surprised with Touma's outburst. He was never one to get mad, especially at girls, unless of course they were complete baddies and were after world domination or something like that.

"Aww, are you mad Touma-kun? But why? It's not like you and that little girl over there are still together now right? Besides-"

A marker went flying through the air, dashing past Mika's bangs, barely missing her head. Her voice was stopped, a scared smile plastered on her face, with the look of surprise on her eyes. Mikoto and Touma both traced the direction of the flying destructive marker and found it directly in front of them. If there was a phrase to describe what they were seeing, it would probably be..."Wrath of the Titans" or "2012" or some other horror/ sci-fi movie about the end of the world. Man, that old lady is one hell of a teacher.

"Su..mi...ne..sannn..."

"H-H-h-h-h-h-h-haaaii?"

"I thought I told you to shut it? Didn't you hear what I just said?"

"N-n-n-no Ma'am! I heard it...loud and cl-clear ma'am!"

"Oh, really? Then why the hell was I hearing something about it from your mouth then eh?"

"I...It was nothing ma'am! Please proceed! I am terribly sorry for the interruption ma'am!"

Mika said, like a soldier while her hands shaked and trembled. Dr. Pyonko just huffed as she turned back to the whiteboard, taking out her 3rd marker and writing stuff on it. Touma and Mikoto were both surprised, they looked at one another, before stifling their laughter. Mikoto took out her phone secretively and typed a text. After a few seconds, Touma's phone vibrated so he took it out and read it.

'Damn. She sure is different from the Pyonko I'm used to!'

It read. He couldn't help but smile as he typed back a reply. He pressed send before closing it and putting it back in his pocket. Mikoto's phone vibrated and she read his message.

'Yeah, you'll get used to it. If you think that a sadistic frog character is cute that is. BTW, don't call her Pyonko, she's gonna make your life a living hell if you do.'

'Yeah, I figured that much. Anyway, thanks for the warning...'

Touma's eyes widened at her message. He looked sideways and found her burying her face behind a book, obviously embarrassed. She was definitely blushing. He smiled at the thought and held the keychain she gave him earlier dearly. Yep, this was going to be one heck of a school year.

-AFTER THEIR CLASS WITH DR. PYONKO-

"So? How have you been Misaka-chan?"

Fukiyose asked as she sat beside Mikoto on one of the benches on the college park. (Again, I'm in high school, but according to my brother who finished college, they have parks like that in college.) It was a beautiful garden area with trees and a lake and practically everything. Mikoto just smiled at her as she sweat dropped.

"How many times are you going to ask her that Fukiyose? That's the 6th time already."

Touma deadpanned, as he leaned his head on one of his arms. He was supposed to spend their 2 hour vacant period with Mikoto alone, but the 3 (Fukiyose, Aogami and Tsuchimikado) just had to come along.

"Nyaaa~... Told you he was possessive Misaka-chan..."

Motoharu taunted as he sat across Touma. So this was how they were seated, Touma, Mikoto and Fukiyose were seated in the right bench, while Motoharu and Aogami sat opposite of Touma and Fukiyose respectively.

"I swear, if you say that one more time Tsuchimikado, I am going to break your jaw, and I'm not sure if I won't enjoy it."

"Waa, such a sadist... Misaka-chan you have it hard..."

Aogami commented, smiling evilly at her. Mikoto shivered from his gaze, but that was probably out of disgust. He was known to be maid maniac. Who knows how he sees her right now.

"Aah, with respect to Seiri-senpai's earlier question, I will answer the same one I gave you 5 times, I am fine. And it will be the same no matter how much you ask me."

Mikoto answered with a kind smile. Touma was getting more and more irritated.

"Ha-ha. I know that. I'm just making sure Misaka-chan. But boy, have you really grown up. You're a lot more beautiful than you already were. Right Kamijou?"

Fukiyose said with a mischievous smile. The two blushed and looked away. After a second, Touma looked back and stared at Mikoto, a blush still apparent.

"B-but she is right Mikoto. Y-You...look...b-beautiful..."

He stuttered, sinking into embarrassment by the second. Mikoto was stunned. Not only did he just call her beautiful, he did it in front of his friends too! She blankly turned and saw the three teenagers grinning at her. Her gaze swung back and forth between Touma and his friends, until she got dizzy. She just lowered her head and mumbled out a simple reply.

"Th-thank you... Kamijou-san..."

"KAMIJOU-SAN?!"

Fukiyose and Aogami shouted, startling Mikoto and Touma back to their senses. Fukiyose and Aogami leaned over to her,

"Why are you calling him that? Did you guys make up already? Was the keychain a peace offering?"

They kept on asking and asking until she was practically dizzy from all of them swimming in her head. Touma grunted irritably as he dragged the two of the far enough for Mikoto not to hear about any part of their conversation. Mikoto just furrowed her brows in confusion as she stared at the three figures bickering over something.

"What are you gonna do about Anderwick, Cielo Elizel Y'l Vlad?"

Tsuchimikado suddenly asked, making Mikoto turn her attention to him. She took a deep breath before putting on a serious expression.

"Should we be really talking about this here?"

"It's fine. Nobody can hear us, if someone does, they'll just think we're talking about a game or some other stuff."

"Sigh, well what do you want me to do? In all honesty, I'm lost."

"I told you, THAT is the only way." *Remember this okay?*

"And I told you, THAT will never work."

"Why not? Just give me a concrete reason Misaka-chan."

"Because I don't want him to be dragged along this hell hole."

She said solemnly, as the image of that one person came into mind. Tsuchimikado snickered at her, making Mikoto fume in anger.

"What the hell are you laughing about buster?"

"Oh nothing. Just thinking about how similar the both of you are. Kami-yan has been in this hell hole longer than you have Misaka-chan. Don't you think you're thoughts are starting to get naive?"

"Huh, that's ironic. Me? Being naive? Out of all people, I might have the most disgusted and ugly view of this world, especially Academy City. My hands have been smeared by blood, my eyes have witnessed the most agonizing deaths, my soul has been tainted with sin, my thoughts are more gruesome than an average person. If I'm being naive, then what do you call all those other blood suckers out there who are far worse than me?"

"You know, if Kami-yan heard you, he would probably be distressed. "

"And why is that?"

"Kami-yan has always wanted to protect you. He wants you to live in this beautiful world, so that's why he's striving to make it happy and peaceful, because he hopes that it would be enough to keep you happy and to change your view of it."

"Heh, then he's the naive one, not me. If he thinks that he can change this world just by smashing the illusions of some maniacs, then he's dead wrong. The best thing he can do is protect the ones in the world, not the world itself. I guess that's why I can still manage to survive in this place. But then again, I was made to harm this world and the people in it, so it is still impossible."

"Impossible? So, what you're basically saying is, you and Kami-yan can never be in the same category, is that right?"

"Yes, that's right. He and I can never be together. He has a pure heart; his actions are based on his principles of what is right and just. He comes from the light, whereas we come from the darkest depths of hell. I can't even understand how we manage to stay by him without being blinded by his purity."

"You sounded like a religious person right then Misaka-chan."

"Yeah right. The god's themselves dictated my destiny, I can't run away from it. Might as well play along until I find the way to stop it. I'll just have to fight this battle myself."

"Even if Kami-yan is right beside you?"

Tsuchimikado asked. Mikoto glared at him for awhile before standing up, her arms on the table for support.

"Where ya going? Misaka-chan?" He asked, watching her actions. Mikoto stepped out of the benches and started walking away.

"I'm just gonna go to the comfort room. Tell them I'll be back in a minute or something." She answered, not turning back to face him. Tsuchimikado sighed, before speaking up.

"Just a word of advice Misaka-chan, don't lose your smile. I don't have any authority to tell you want to and not to do, but I just don't like seeing Kami-yan all burdened up. At least your smile is one thing that can make him happy."

Tsuchimikado said with a serious expression, all jokes aside. He was damn serious, Mikoto knew this. She waved at him before turning corners to the comfort room.

"Sigh, you sure are a lot of work Misaka-chan, and I'm not even getting paid for this. Heck, I probably won't get anything out of doing all these stuff for you..."

He said to himself, Touma and the others walked back, Touma immediately noticed Mikoto was gone.

"Where's Mikoto Tsuchimikado? Please don't tell me that you freaked her out so she ran away?"

Touma asked jokingly. Tsuchimikado smiled_, 'See? You are the only person who can make Kami-yan happy Misaka-chan. Why can't you see that?'_ He thought.

"Nyaa~! You're so mean Kami-yan. Misaka-chan just got asked out by one of our male classmates and-"

"WHY THE HELL DIDNT YOU STOP HER YOU B-ST-RD?!"

Touma immediately shouted, turning his head around looking for Mikoto.

"It was just a joke Kami-yan. Misaka-chan went to the girl's room for...well I don't know. Girl stuff I guess."

"Tsuchimikado you-"

"So, what did you guys talk about?"

Tsuchimikado asked drinking his can of soda. Touma and the others just sat back down quietly.

"Kamijou told us everything that happened. About what Sumine did 10 months ago. Seriously Kamijou, why didn't you tell us earlier? We could've explained it to Misaka-chan."

Fukiyose answered, her attention directed to Touma.

"Well, it's not like you guys can do anything right? What's done is done. I'm actually surprised that you didn't know that."

"All we know is that Misaka-chan broke up with you because of a misunderstanding. Since you were pretty much wasted when she left, we decided not to ask you anything about it. But I still can't believe that Sumine did that."

" Mika-chan is one aggressive girl Kami-yan. You got another one in your harem!" Aogami commented, making Touma take a huge breath, closing his eyes before shouting.

"I DONT HAVE A HAREM DARN IT!"

-MEANWHILE, IN THE GIRL'S COMFORT ROOM-

Mikoto stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her pale skin, her troubled hazel eyes, her long hazel hair. She hated it. She hated all of it. She hated herself, for being this kind of creature.

"Why couldn't have I stopped it? Why can't I find a way to stop it? To stop myself?!"

She said angrily, before splashing water on her face. She took a deep breath before looking at her reflection again. It was a mess, parts of her bangs were wet, sticking to her face and covering her skin, her cheeks were red from the force of her hands, water droplets were on her face, slowly dripping down from her eyes to the sink, resembling tears. She looked like a partial mess.

"That's better. I don't deserve to look so normal. I deserve this. I deserve this punishment."

'_You are not a monster...'_

Touma's voice from before echoed in her mind. It was during that angel incident, when she wasn't herself and ended up hurting people. Blood was spilled, tears were shed, all because she lost her sanity. No. That's not enough of a reason. It was all because of HER. Plain and simple.

"No, no matter how much you tell me, I know that I am one. You will continue to suffer, because of me...Touma. I...I'm so sorry..."

Mikoto said, lowering her head, her arms on the sink as support. She felt the tears building up again, but she couldn't cry, actually, it was because she can't cry. Such a pitiful human- no, monster was the more appropriate term- doesn't deserve tears. She sighed before looking up, practicing the smile she was gonna use to face them, to face him.

"The least you can do is smile for him, Mikoto..."

She said sadly to herself, despite the smile gracing her lips.

"Smiles don't suit you, Misaka Mikoto-chan~"

A familiar voice said, Mikoto was about to turn around, until her body and mind froze. She was stuck in a standstill and she didn't know why. She felt a hand touch her shoulder as the person came closer to her, pressing against her back. '_What the hell's happening?!_' she thought. She couldn't make out who the person was, her mind was too stuffed with different thoughts. She couldn't think. She was afraid. It was the same feeling she got when she was in the CR of the cafe. What if... what if she causes an earthquake again? What if she hurts someone again? She tried her best to look in the mirror, but she only saw someone in a black cape with golden designs, bits of dark brown hair apparent on the sides where the capes hood was unable to hide.

'_Help me... Somebody help me...' _

She cried in her head, she couldn't make out her voice. She felt the person smile, as weird as that sounds. The person took a breath before reciting,

"_**Your fears are broken,**_

_**Your heart is fallen,**_

_**And even with a heart that yearns,**_

_**Your freedom...will never be earned."**_

The moment he/she/it finished, Mikoto felt emptiness again. She felt pain in her heart and mind. This was bad. It was happening, again.

'_Touma...please save me...' _

She pleaded in her mind, as the last of her consciousness slowly faded away into the darkness, dragging her with it. Mikoto dropped to the floor unconscious. The person smiled as she watched Mikoto sleep on the floor.

"Smiles were not made for monstrous angels such as yourself."

The person said as he/she slowly walked away from the scene, feeling the slight tremors come to life.

"Good luck dealing with hell, Cielo-chan~"

She mused before disappearing. MEANWHILE, Touma and the others felt the tremors. College students started panicking, wondering what was going on. The gang stood up from the bench and looked around.

"What's happening?" Fukiyose asked, as she struggled to stand. No one was able to give her a reply, but Touma had a slight idea as to what was happening.

'_This earthquake, no, this tremor... It's the same as from before, in that cafe... so does that mean... SH-T!' _He cursed, as he did his best to run to that girl's side. But a hand grabbed his shoulder, stopping him.

"Are you sure about this, Kami-yan?"

Tsuchimikado asked. Touma shrugged off his hand.

"Well what do you mean?! Do you know what's happening here?"

"I know a hell a lot more than you do Kami-yan. You do not want to get tangled up in this."

"And why the hell not you b-st-rd?! Mikoto needs me right now! She's in danger! I have to go and help her!"

He shouted, running away from Tsuchimikado who just stared at him.

"I already warned you Kami-yan, don't get involved."

He breathed, ruffling his hair. He looked forward, watching Touma run.

" Sigh, I'm sorry Misaka-chan, but I have to do this." He said following him to where Mikoto was.

"Where am I?"

Mikoto asked as she floated aimlessly in a white, void space. Black films suddenly rushed past her. She placed her arms in front of her eyes due to reflex. When she finally opened them again, she was right outside of a house in the middle of nowhere. It wasn't quite big, but it was quaint, and she liked it. It was a simple two-floor house, with bricks for walls and vines with flowers growing on its sides. Mikoto decided to go in and investigate. She slowly opened the door and walked in.

The house was as simple as it was on its outside. It had two chairs, a table, a cupboard, a few portraits and a flower vase, and a few other fixtures.

"You came." A voice similar to hers, only a bit more mature said. Mikoto went further in and saw a blonde girl sitting on a rocking chair, holding a violin. She was looking at Mikoto indifferently with her sea blue eyes.

"Are you..."

"I am you." The girl answered shortly, making Mikoto confused. She took a deep breath before speaking.

"Let me finish my question this time okay? Are you... Cielo?"

Mikoto asked seriously. The girl smiled a sad smile again, before standing up, placing the violin on her chair which rocked back and forth as she stood. She reached out her hand to Mikoto, who looked at her cautiously.

"Don't worry. I mean you no harm."

The girl said. Mikoto believed her, took her hand and walked closer. When they were finally face to face, Mikoto realized how similar they were. Their height, their face, their body structure (YEAH! She was so not flat chested anymore!). The only real difference was the colour and length of their hair and eyes. The girl's hair was long, reaching to her thighs, blonde and beautiful. Her eyes were the colour of the sparkling blue ocean. She was wearing a light pink long dress. It had a simple ribbon on the chest, some ruffles at the ends of the arms and at the end of the dress itself.

"Tell me, are you Cielo Elizel Y'l Vlad?" Mikoto asked.

"I told you, I am you. So let me ask you, are you Cielo Elizel Y'l Vlad?"

"Y-Yes..."

"Then you have your answer. I am you. I am Cielo Elizel Y'l Vlad. I am the Prophetic Angel."

"Why...why were we...burdened with a purpose? Why were we given the task to kill and destroy?"

Mikoto asked in a hoarse voice. Tears welling up in her eyes. Cielo held her face and stared deeply into her eyes.

"We are the same, yes. I loved, sinned, got hurt. But, I... I don't want you to be like me. You can still change your destiny, and have the happily ever after you always wanted. Can you tell me your name?"

"My...my name is Misaka Mikoto."

Mikoto answered looking at Cielo. Cielo smiled, but it wasn't so empty anymore.

"It's time you go, Mikoto. That person is waiting for you."

Cielo said letting Mikoto go. Mikoto took a step back and stared at her.

"Uhm, how am I supposed to get back?"

"You will get back when he touches you. Mikoto, will you listen to something?"

"Yes?"

"Mikoto, don't think that you are a monster. No matter what that voice inside of you tells you, you are human, nothing more, nothing less. Don't think that you don't deserve things."

"I don't get it. Why are you so nice? In my head, you're only some sort of doll. You just keep on annihilating and killing, but you...you're not like that."

Mikoto asked, as curiosity got the better of her. She felt her body suddenly become lighter, meaning, she was about to go back.

"Angels were sent by the creator to cleanse evil. We take the evil out of humans, but they end up inside of us. That evil only resurfaces when were in a condition similar to a battle mode, as the humans call it. We get aggressive and end up the way you first saw me. I'm glad that you're not afraid of me Mikoto. I'll explain it when you come back okay?"

Cielo said with a smile before Mikoto faded away. '_Wait? Come back? So she knows that I'll be back here?_' Once again, she was in that white void space again. A second later, her eyes opened, and the first person she saw was...

"Touma.."

She mumbled. Touma's face brightened as he heard her voice calling his name. Mikoto sat up, but a terrible head ache followed and she passed out. Touma reacted fast enough to catch her.

"I'm glad..you're alright, Mikoto..."

Touma whispered as he brushed stands of her hair away from her face.

"Kami-yan."

A voice said, drawing him back from his Utopia. He turned and saw Tsuchimikado standing by the doorway of the CR.

"What is it, Tsuchimikado?"

"Kami-yan, I know I'm not in the position to say this, but please don't affiliate yourself with Misaka-chan anymore."

He said in a serious tone. Touma's eyes blazed like fire, fuming with anger.

"What the hell do you mean, b-st-rd?!"

He shouted, gripping Mikoto's unconscious form closer to him.

"There's only one way to save her, and you can't do it. You're as good as useless."

"Who are you to say that?!"

"I know everything about this Kami-yan. Misaka-chan told me this herself."

His words surprised Touma. Why couldn't she have trusted him instead? Why Tsuchimikado? His mind was too jumbled to think.

"Were you the one she was talking to on the phone?"

"Yes."

"THEN TELL ME! HOW CAN I SAVE HER?!"

Touma shouted, resoluting that he would do anything, just to protect her, to save her, to drag her away from hell. Tsuchimikado stepped forward and grabbed Touma's collar. He took off his glasses and stared at Touma straight in the eye.

"Will you do anything for her, Kami-yan?"

"Of course I would."

Touma answered back seriously, not backing down. Despite feeling intimidated by Tsuchimikado's eyes. Whenever he gets like this, it means that they're in deep sh-t. Sh-t like quicksand, once you get stuck, you're bound to sink down, down to the depths of hell. The hell of no return.

"Then KILL her Kami-yan. Kill Misaka Mikoto."

**-chapter end-**

**DUN DUN DUN DUN! Tsuchimikado, you can be such a bad ass! Okay, this chapter might have been a bit too dramatic. I was trying to focus on emotions, on how the characters must feel. Love can be quite a fickle thing huh? One moment you're happy, and the next, you're suffering. Wow, like I'm one to talk...**

**Oh well, enough of the serious talk okay? I'm getting depressed just by thinking of it. Its either that, or the fact that school is starting. Doesn't matter...**

**You know, I've been thinking, who's the 6****th**** level 5?**

**Accelerator –Vector change**

**Kakine Teitoku – Dark Matter**

**Misaka Mikoto –Railgun-Electromaster**

**Mugino Shizuri- Meltdowner**

**Shokuhou Misaki- Mental Out**

**?**

**Sogiita Gunha- Attack Crash**

**Anybody else find that weird? Please PM me if you know him/her or tell me in the review section. I have a specific reason for asking that you know. Oh, and as well as Touma's Imagine Breaker dragon thingy. I've read the light novels over and over again, as well as some fanfics about it, but some things still don't make sense...**

**Well, how did I do? Hope you liked it. **

**Please review! Thanks! Till next time! Ja-ne!**


	8. Talking with an Angel

**Okaay. Hello there! Can you believe it? We're already in chapter 8? And I still don't have a solid plotline! Wow, I am such an idiotic person. I managed to go until chapter 8, but I don't know what's gonna happen! Oh well, don't rush things if they don't wanna... **

**Well, let's get this started shall we?**

Chapter 8

"Will you do anything for her, Kami-yan?"

"Of course I would."

Touma answered back seriously, not backing down. Despite feeling intimidated by Tsuchimikado's eyes. Whenever he gets like this, it means that they're in deep sh-t. Sh-t like quicksand, once you get stuck, you're bound to sink down, down to the depths of hell. The hell of no return.

"Then KILL her Kami-yan. Kill Misaka Mikoto."

Tsuchimikado said with a straight face. Touma's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Tick-tock-tick-tock. Mikoto's watch ticked and ticked, signifying every second that Touma just sat there, mouth agape. She was still asleep, completely unaware of everything.

"What?"

Touma managed to utter out. Tsuchimikado let go of his collar and put his glasses back on, still keeping an eye on Touma.

"I just asked you if you can kill her."

"You b-st-rd! What kind of messed up crap are you spouting huh?! What the hell are you talking about!?" Touma shouted.

"You wanted to save Misaka-chan from Cielo Y'l Vlad right? Cielo Y'l Vlad is residing INSIDE of Misaka-chan. They're one in the same. You kill Vlad; you kill Misaka-chan, vice versa. As easy as that."

"HOW THE HELL ARE YOU SO CALM?!"

"Kami-yan, why don't I explain Angelism to you?"

"Angelism? What the hell is Angelism?"

"Angelism or Angelamistic Theory was studied by Miliahelm Von Gurbent. I'm sure that you already know who that b-st-rd is. He was one of the earliest magicians that ever lived. He believed in angels, their powers and their purpose. Angel Fall and other angel related spell all has reference to Angelism. It just so happens that his test subject for Angelamistic theory was a prophetic angel, an angel we all know."

"So Cielo and Miliahelm were close?"

"I don't know. That was nearly 6 centuries ago, there's no way for us to know whether that is true or not, unless we had real proof dating back to the 14th century, which I highly doubt because the books written that period are all gone."

"Actually, Mikoto has the book."

"Misaka-chan has "The Prophetic Angel"? Oh well, I guess that would make sense. So, where is it?"

"It's in Mikoto's bag I think. I'll give it to you, but I have to ask her first."

"No. It's no use anyway. Normal humans, magicians, or espers can't read its true content. Only Angels will be able to make sense out of it. Even with my magic, that's impossible."

"Look, let's drop this okay? Just tell me, why did you tell me to ... to..."

Touma said, his voice lowering along with his head by the second. Tsuchimikado sighed before helping him complete his sentence.

"To kill Misaka-chan?"

"Y-yeah. Why would you tell me that?"

"Because it is a possibility Kami-yan. As I said, Misaka Mikoto and Vlad are two entities in one body. If you destroy one, the other will follow suit. It's called essence equilibrium."

"Essence equilibrium?"

"Misaka-chan lost all her humanity, or her humanic essence, leaving her body as a vessel for her angelic essence or as we call it, an angel's being, which in this case, belongs to Vlad. If you have to take Vlad's angelic essence out, you would be taking out what's left of Misaka-chan's humanic essence. Remember that Misaka Mikoto lost it once, she just regained it partially now, if you take anymore away, she'll be nothing but a shell for Vlad. She's gonna have to die."

Tsuchimikado explained. Touma's face was written with disbelief. You can practically see the words 'What the hell' on it. He sighed again, before turning around and walking out.

"It was just a test Kami-yan. I just wanted to know whether you would do EVERYTHING for her. But please remember that it is a possibility. One day, you may have to choose: whether you just stand and watch her suffer, or end her suffering yourself. It's your choice, Kami-yan."

He said with a wave as he disappeared from sight. Touma was left alone, staring at the visage of his friends figure_. Was that real? Was it really just a test? Will that really happen? Is Mikoto and Cielo the same? Should I kill M-! No_, Touma thought. _There is no way in hell I'll do that._ Questions piled up on his head, but he knew that those can wait. Mikoto was top priority. He took a deep breath before looking down at Mikoto who was fast asleep.

"Sigh. When will we ever be free of this hell...Mikoto...?"

He sighed, before checking Mikoto's figure for any signs of injury. He looked at her, head to toe. After a few seconds and double checking, he knew she was fine. But one thing did catch his attention. A bracelet. A simple chain bracelet with a lock on its end.

"I never knew that Mikoto wore this..."

He said, picking Mikoto up from the floor and carrying her to the university clinic. He didn't want to take her to the hospital, she was fine and he knew that she didn't want to go. People stared at him as he carried Mikoto to the clinic, to hell with that. What do they care? He just wanted to make sure she's fine. The nurse greeted them warmly and asked Touma to lay her down on one of the beds, to which he happily obliged.

He watched as Mikoto slept in peace on the bed. Touma smiled before sitting on a chair and taking out his phone and calling Fukiyose. It rang three times.

"Kamijou?" Fukiyose's voice came from the static mesh of wires.

"Hey Fukiyose. Are you guys alright?"

"Yeah, we're fine. What about Misaka-chan?"

"You're not gonna ask me if I'm fine?"

"I could care less about you Kamijou. Besides, you're talking now right? At least I know you're not dead. So, how's Misaka-chan?"

"She's fine Fukiyose. She just passed out, probably because she's tired and she just got out of the hospital." He lied.

"Oh, okay then. Will she be able to go back for the next class?"

"When's that?" he asked looking at the clock on the wall.

"In about an hour and a half."

"Nah, I don't think she can. I probably won't either." He said looking over to Mikoto and stroking her hair.

"Kamijou, I know you're worried about Misaka-chan, and I am too. But, you do realize that we have calculus next right? Since it is Misaka-chan's first day, she can skip, but you can't. If you skip one more class, Nakamura-sensei will probably fail you. Misaka-chan wouldn't want that."

"Well I guess. Okay then, I'll just stay until the next period. I'll call Shirai-san to watch over her then."

"Sigh, you really won't leave her alone now will you? Anyway, I'll see you in class. Take care of Misaka-chan."

"Yeah sure, bye Fukiyose." Touma said hanging up. He sighed before looking up to the ceiling. He traced the lines on it. The white paint was a bit yellowish, a sign that it hadn't been repainted for quite some time. He raised his right arm and clenched and unclenched his fist.

"This hand of mine... can it really do it? Can it really kill you?"

He asked himself, closing his eyes in exasperation. A few seconds of silence passed.

"So Tsuchimikado-senpai told you?"

"GAH!"

Touma shouted as he fell back from his chair. He hit his head on the floor boards and he groaned in pain.

"Ow ow ow ow ow "

He muttered, sitting up. He saw a hand in his field of vision and he immediately wondered whose it was.

"Are you gonna get it or not?"

Mikoto's voice asked. Touma looked up and saw Mikoto sitting up, reaching her hand out to him. He heaved a sigh, before taking her hand and standing up.

"Thanks Mikoto."

"Sorry for startling you."

Mikoto said lying back down as Touma sat back on his chair after picking it up. Mikoto merely stared at the ceiling, wondering if there was a bright blue sky just outside of the walls. And she's not being sentimental. She was wondering if there was a future for her, waiting despite all the walls of impossibilities surrounding her and keeping her trapped.

"Ne, Mikoto?"

"Yeah?" she answered, still not looking at him.

"What Tsuchimikado told me, is it true? Do...do I really have to...to...to..."

"You don't have to force yourself to say it you know. I know, I understand how you feel. But to answer your question, I don't know. And if you ask me, you shouldn't do it either."

She answered taking a deep breath.

"Can I ask you why?" he asked again.

"Can I not answer that?" she retorted.

"Mikoto, please-"

"Relax. There are probably other ways to stop Cielo-san's battle mode. Well, we won't need to do anything if it doesn't appear though."

"Battle mode? What the hell is this? Some king of Sci-fi Warrior RPG game?"

"Cielo-san told me that herself. It's just a phase where angels temporarily lose themselves to the evils residing within them."

"Angels are supposed to be good right? How come they have evil within them?"

"They take it out from the humans obviously. It is their job...Our job to do so."

"Are you telling me that you're one of them now?"

"I had always been Touma. Whether I like it or not, I am an angel. I'm the Angel of Death and now the Prophetic Angel is in me too."

"Then let me break that-!"

"Illusion? Oh please, don't make me laugh. If you truly could break illusions, then why didn't you break that illusion of misfortune of yours? Don't be a hypocrite, not that you've never been one anyway."

"I AM NOT A HYPOCRITE."

Touma said raising his voice a bit, stressing every word. Mikoto gathered up the courage and looked at him, before forcing herself to sit up right, despite her pain. Touma was about to help her, but she slapped his hand away.

"You're not? Fine then, I want you to look at me straight in the eye Kamijou Touma."

She said grabbing the front of his shirt, pulling him closer to her, her eyes burning with determination.

"Look me in the eye and tell me that you aren't a hypocrite."

She continued, still glaring at him. Touma looked at her, full with confidence at first, but after staring into her eyes for a bit, he seemingly lost all of it. Her eyes, those hazel eyes which he used to stare at so much. The eyes that reflected so much pain and worry, so much hurt and agony. Even without speaking, just one look at her honest eyes, he would know how she truly felt.

"The both of us were never good at lying to each other you know."

He muttered, looking away.

"I can't say that I'm not a hypocrite, and you, you can't admit that you're afraid right?"

He felt Mikoto's grip on his shirt loosen, and completely disappear. He took this as his sign and he turned to face her. Misaka Mikoto. The 3rd strongest level 5 esper in Academy City, and probably the entire world. The girl who was idolized by many, not just because of beauty or status. The girl who had two angelic entities inside of her, fighting over her humanity and sanity. The girl who had been carrying a huge burden, a principle of to kill or be killed. The girl who had always tried so hard to suppress her sadness in her facade. The girl who kicked vending machines and loved a frog character from a kiddie TV show. The girl that he had cared for the most. That girl is the very same girl who is in front of him now, cradling herself atop of a clinical bed, crying into her own arms, looking for support.

"You should really cry more you know."

Touma mused, smiling at the crying girl's figure. Mikoto looked up, her tear filled eyes wobbling and hazing. He knew he shouldn't smile, this wasn't supposed to be entertaining at all, but seeing her be true to how she really felt, it was rare. It was a sign that even after all those months of pain, she still trusted him. And that was one of the few things in his life he felt fortunate about. She took a deep breath, before grabbing his shirt and pulling him in. She wrapped her frail arms around his waist and hugged him with the greatest force she could exert whilst crying her heart out.

His heart sunk, deep into the deepest depths of hell. His mind, fleeting with different emotions, he was confused of how he really felt. He felt something blur his vision, but he pushed it away, blinked it back, and smiled.

"I...I'm here for you, Mikoto." He whispered gently, the sound, barely audible, as it was overpowered by her whimpers and wails. "Time and time again, I've been here for you...why should that ever change?"

He asked a little bit louder. The only response he got was another wail, another gush of warm tears on his torso, soaking his shirt. His hand was trembling, but he shook it off and placed it on her head, stroking it ever so gently.

'_Why is she crying so hard? She never cried this much before. Not even during the Sisters Project.'_

He thought as he continuously stroked her hair, trying his best to calm her down with that gesture.

'_Is it really that hard? Being an angel...is it really that much more difficult than bearing the misfortune of the entire world? Have you suffered unbearable pain? Pain...that is...a million times more than mine?'_

He asked softly as he looked up, feeling the same trail of warmth fall to his cheek. He bit his lip, scolding himself not to do this in front of a girl, especially Mikoto. But a simple action like that couldn't suppress his emotions.

Another heavy drop, followed by another.

One after another, they came flowing down, like a river flowing endlessly. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before looking down at Mikoto's shuddering shoulders. A smile crept up to his tear-stained face, as he slowly bent down to take her into his arms and hug her. She felt so warm, so comforting, so soft, so...loving...and so sad. He had this urge to hug her tighter and never let her go. He wanted to protect this frail being, this head-strong, careless girl, forever. He wanted to be with her...forever.

"I'll protect you Mikoto; I swear...I'll protect you..."

He vowed upon her tears. His tears had stopped flowing, now that he could control it. He silently awaited Mikoto's tears and whimpers to settle down. He simple stroked her head and her back, whispering a simple 'shush' every now and then, as he rocked her back and forth. Minutes later, she had fallen asleep. Long lost in the land of dreams and sweet slumber.

"Sweet dreams Mikoto... when you wake up...hopefully, things will be different..."

He said caressing her cheek with his palm. He wiped away any more traces of her tears and laid her down, careful not to wake her up. He touched his shirt and noticed that it was soaked, akin to being splashed by a bucket of water, the thought actually amused him. He stared at her face for awhile, before standing up. He took out his phone and sent a message to a certain teleporter he closed his phone and walked out.

"I'll be going now, Mikoto. I'm gonna be back okay?"

He said with a gentle smile adorning his face. He turned back and closed the curtain dividing her room from all the other rooms in the clinic. While walking through the corridors, a serious expression beheld his face.

"People will pay. I'm just gonna have to drag them out of their hiding place in hell."

He said, with all the seriousness in the world.

* * *

"You did a great job, Zeniax. (Zenias)"

A man in a black cape with golden embroideries said on the phone. He was sitting in a simple room, with a table, a chair and a huge mirror, which reflected the image of a woman in the same cape as his, with streaks of dark brown hair, coming out of the sides.

"Anything for you, Master."

The girl replied. She knew that she was being watched, so she gave a smile.

"Continue with your work. Do anything you want with the body. But don't you DARE harm my dear, dear Cielo. AM I MAKING MYSELF CLEAR?"

"Yes, of course Master. Please excuse me."

The girl said bowing and switching off the call. She walked away and the image on the mirror faded. The man placed his arm on the arm rest, his cheek on top of his palm.

"Well, what do you think? Mil?"

He asked, as another caped figure mysteriously entered the room. The other man walked toward him and smirked.

"She's a whole lot useful than I thought she'd be. She was more of a pain when I met her."

"Oh don't say that Mil. She is very important to us. Besides, she's you're creation, isn't she?"

"That might be true, but she sees you more of a master than she does me. Zeniax Yvette Vedlore, she's just an angel prototype. She's nothing compared to the real one."

"Oh? So that's why you allowed me to use her. Oh well, it doesn't matter. Our top priority is Cielo and Cielo alone..."

The first man said with a crazed laugh. After a second, he took a deep breath before staring at the mirror again, which reflected Mikoto's sleeping form in the university clinic.

"Don't worry Cielo...I'm coming for you...We'll be together, forever, like I promised you..."

He stated in a sentimental tone. His face showing signs of true happiness and love.

* * *

"Mikoto?"

A familiar voice began stirring in Mikoto's head. She opened her eyes and saw that she was no longer in the clinic. She was in an old house, and after a few moments of thinking, she realized it, it was Cielo's house. A knock on the door was heard and the door slowly creaked open. It revealed a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Mikoto, in a simple pink long dress.

"Cielo-san?"

She asked, sitting up. Cielo walked towards her and sat on a chair with a smile on her face.

"It's nice to see you again."

"You too Cielo-san. You know, I just wanted to ask, why are you acting...differently?"

"What do you mean?"

"From before at the cell, where we first met, you seemed cold...and distant. But now, you act like we've been good friend for a long time."

"Oh that's because of my situation at that time. We met in the future of this time you see, that moment, I felt tormented and alone, so I was like that. But now, we're currently in a time space where in I was living happily, so I'm acting like this."

"Oh, okay... Uhm, how long was I out?" Mikoto asked, hands to her forehead, trying to suppress the pain of a massive headache.

"I called you back here. Don't worry. It's only been a few seconds. Your head hurts probably because you cried so much." Cielo said stifling a giggle.

"Y-you saw that?" Mikoto asked with wide eyes and a blush.

"Of course I did. I told you. I am you. I know, feel, see, hear everything you do."

"Ugh, this is too embarrassing..."

"It's fine Mikoto. I'm just glad that you have someone like that young man."

"Young man?"

"Yes, I think you called him...Touma, was it? He's quite a charmer isn't he? He said all those words to comfort you, without the slightest hint of hesitation, I was moved by it. He said that he'd be there for you. That's very rare you know."

"Yeah, but he's like that to every female creature on this planet. Don't be too surprised."

Mikoto said with a blush as she turned her head.

"Is that so? But, you know, you should be careful." Cielo said in a rather serious tone, which deviates from her normal gentle and soothing voice.

"What?"

"Mikoto, do you want to know the real story?"

"Story? About what Cielo-san?"

"About me and Ave..."

Cielo said looking at her with a pained face. What was it that they still don't know?

**-chapter end-**

**Well, that's another one done! NEXT CHAPTER: THE TRUTH IS REVEALED! DUN DUN DUN DUN! Gah, I sorta feel bad for the caped guys... you'll find out soon enough. anyway, i want to thank everyone who has pointed out my mistakes and such. i am sorry to disappoint you, but i still havent proofread this. school is keeping us busy, and i dont have enough time to do so. im very sorry...**

**well, i hope that you enjoyed it... im sorry if they were OOC or stuff. I just had the impulse to type it this way...**

**that's all for me. sorry for the long wait, oh and thanks to those who pm'd me about my questions.**

**THANKS!**

**TILL NEXT TIME!**

**JA-NE!**


	9. Leaving her behind

**Heya! It's chapter nine! Whew! Waaaa… I can't believe it… we're coming close to the climax again… I remember how it felt like when I was typing "Facing Your Fears", which was about 3 or 4 months ago. FYF: Loss didn't have a climax because, well, it doesn't have one. It was originally supposed to be part of AGAIN, but I can't have Mikoto leave for 10 months and continue it without her, right?**

**Oh well, doesn't matter anymore. Past is past. **

**Well, for now. Let me say this. This chapter is some sort of a history lesson. As much as I wanted to put Kamikoto fluff moments, I couldn't… but this should prove to be interesting, if you can answer a question at the end of this chapter. Well, see ya later!**

**Chapter 9**

"Avery and you? What do you mean? Cielo-san?"

Mikoto asked, looking at another version of her which had blonde hair and blue eyes. Cielo Elizel Y'l Vlad, the presider of the Prophetic Angel, looked at her before sighing.

"His real name is Aviaries Veolia Anderwick. From your present time, this story took place about 6 centuries ago. It was also about that time, when I…I was sent to do my mission."

Cielo said, as the introduction to her very long history lesson. Mikoto looked very intent, she was keen on listening to every word Cielo was about to say. Cielo had a small smile, before continuing.

"At that time, people believed in angels, gods, destiny and fate. True, the gods built the world in hope for the better good, but the humans misunderstood something. They thought that they were so special, that they had control over the gods. They thought that they were equals with them." Cielo said, her head lowering in disappointment as she remembered what had happened all those times ago. "That was where they were gravely mistaken."

Cielo stood up and walked towards Mikoto, shocking the half-angel half esper hybrid.

"Please, don't worry. I won't do you any harm, I already told you that."

"Then what're you doing, Cielo-san?"

"To see is to believe. That's what the humans from my time kept saying. I just think…it would be…better if you saw it for yourself, Mikoto."

"See? See what?" Mikoto asked, as confusion was growing inside of her. Cielo put her index finger to Mikoto's forehead before looking at her seriously.

"I need you to see the darkness of this human world."

Cielo said grimly, as she watched Mikoto's eyes widen, then close as she passed out yet again on the bed. Silence was brought. And in a span of seconds it was shattered by a small, maniac laugh. Cielo covered her mouth and her knees fell to the floor, beside the bed. She took deep breaths as she clutched the blankets in one hand, and her mouth in the other. She looked at Mikoto, who was seemingly troubled in her sleep. Cielo moved her hand, using all the energy she had, to reach Mikoto's face and caress her cheek. She had an apologetic smile, as she looked at her, with watering eyes.

"I…I'm sorry M..Mikoto… I didn't want you t…to see the d-darkness…b-but… it's the only way… My time's running out… Please…p-please….save him…"

She begged as her eyes slowly closed, her body, falling limply to the side of the bed, as her consciousness slowly slipped away from her.

* * *

'_Where am I?'_

A voice asked. Mikoto's eyes opened, and she found herself in a desert like place.

"Where…where did that voice come from?" she asked herself. Mikoto turned her head left and right, in search for the voice. Not too far away from her, she saw a white cloth, scattered on the ground.

"What is that?"

Mikoto asked as she walked closer to it. A few steps was all it took to reach her destination. Mikoto examined the 'thing' that she saw closely, and realized that it wasn't a thing, but rather, it was a person.

"C-Cielo-san?" Mikoto asked, she was about to help her, until a voice, similar to hers, stopped her.

"Permission to answer: Yes, that's me. Actually, that's us, young angel."

The voice said. Mikoto looked back and saw another Cielo standing behind her, except she was in a tore up, blood stained white dress. Mikoto was about to call her name again, until she noticed something.

"You…you're not the Cielo-san I talked to, am I right? You're eyes, they're hollow. You're hair; it's dark brown. Cielo-san's hair is pure blonde."

"You are mistaken. That body, you, and I are one in the same. We are all the same."

The person answered again. Mikoto took a step back, narrowing her eyes at the girl in a blood stained dress.

"No. You're the battle mode of Cielo-san. Those blood stains are proof of it."

"Answers are varying. You are both correct and mistaken. I am Cielo Elizel Y'l Vlad, she is Cielo Elizel Y'l Vlad, and you are Cielo Elizel Y'l Vlad. The blood on this dress is from the efforts of all three of us. We are all held responsible."

"What the hell are you talking about?! Cielo-san and I never killed anyone! Besides, my name is Misaka Mikoto! I'm not who you think I am!"

Mikoto shouted, her hands balling up into a fist. The other girl just stared at her, with her cold, cruel eyes.

"You are what's left of Misaka Mikoto. Your humanity has been eaten away, I can tell that."

"Oh yeah? How come you can tell huh?!"

"Because I was the one who ate it."

The girl answered, making Mikoto open her mouth in shock. She shook her head, before shouting once again.

"You're lying! If you really did eat it, then why am I still here? Why am I still alive?!"

"It is all because of your will to live. Your desire to be with the one you love is keeping you alive, for the mean time."

"What the hell are you talking about?! You-"

"Pay attention. Watch the events to come carefully."

The girl answered pointing to Cielo's unconscious body. Mikoto followed her gaze and saw Cielo waking up. She was about to run to her side, until a blast of pure white light, passed through her, blowing her hair, and barely missing her head.

"Do not interfere. You cannot interfere. You are here to merely watch and observe."

"Using an angel's technique against an angel is kinda stupid don't you think?"

"No. You are not completely an angel. You are a nuisance. You are nothing. If I only had a choice, I would have annihilated you."

"Tch." Mikoto grunted in irritation. That girl was pissing her off. She looked behind and saw Cielo standing up.

'_Where am I?'_

A voice asked again. It was the same as before. Mikoto looked around to seek the owner of the voice.

"What you are hearing is that body's thoughts. We are in her angelic reality, her consciousness."

The girl said, appearing behind Mikoto. Mikoto decided to ignore her and just focus on Cielo.

'_Oh, that's right. The gods…the gods have sent me…on a mission… a mission to kill. I must kill humanity.'_

She said standing up. Cielo walked further and further as thought clouded her mind, while Mikoto and the other girl was following closely behind, listening to her thoughts.

'_Must…must I kill humanity? Thy wonderful race...Which thou has proven how thy worthy it is… beings which value love, and believe in thy powers. Must I kill such a inspiring race? I am but an angel. An angel following the wishes of the god's. An angel without a heart or a mind. Must I be the one to judge the fate of such a race?'_

She asked herself as she neared a small town. It was a town, bustling with life. Men and women in medieval clothing roamed around. Carriages towed by horses, scattered in the city. It was wonderful.

'_I must see. Put thou to a test. If one such being was to come and give thy help, thus I shall thou return and make plea. Yes, a test. A test, to decide the fate of humanity. Thy shall be condemned or not in such fair conditions.'_

She thought to herself. Cielo, in her ragged white dress, sat on the street side, waiting for help to arrive. She prayed to save humanity, she didn't want to kill such a wonderful race which displayed brilliance from where she stood before in Heaven. But days have passed, yet no one came. Person after person passed by her, gave her dirty looks, called her dirty and undignified. She paid them no mind, as she waited patiently.

'_It has been a week, yet no one has helped me. Some even hurt me, physically and emotionally, saying that I was a dirty rat… why… why would they treat me like this?'_ she asked herself as she buried her head in her arms. _'Is it time? Should I give up on Humanity? Should I destroy it? Is humanity really an evil race?'_

"Are you alright Miss?"

A voice asked, Cielo looked up and saw a young man with wavy ash blonde hair that reached the base of his neck. His eyes were a dazzling emerald green color, looking at her, a face full of concern.

"Miss? Are you alright?"

He asked again. Cielo couldn't talk; she was too stupefied by the glamour of the man in front of him. Not hearing a response from her made him worry.

"Hey. Mil, come here for second won't you?"

He called out to another man not too far away; he had black straight hair, just long enough to frame his face and eyes, which were onyx black in color as well. The person, Miliahelm, as he was called, walked over and looked at them.

"Ave, for what in the name of English muffins are you doing?"

"Trying to help this poor girl obviously! Look at her!"

"Yes, I already am. I meant, what are you trying to do actually? She's a random girl from the streets!"

"And so?"

"And so?! Aviaries Veolia Anderwick. Have you gotten completely bonkers?! You can't just pick someone up from the street!"

"My screws are completely tightened and they will not fall of anytime soon Mil. I just want to help her. Can you help me run a psychological test on her later?"

"Fine Ave. But she's your responsibility, got it? I don't want getting tied into this twisted plot like a pretzel."

"I know Mil."

The man said with a smile. He then turned his attention back to Cielo who was still staring at him. He smiled warmly at her, making blood rush to her face forming a blush. Ave gave off a small laugh.

"You're blushing."

"B-blush? What..what is a blush?"

Cielo asked. Ave tilted his head to the side, while Mil face palmed.

"Oh good lord, we have an idiot on our hands…"

"Don't be so mean Mil. It's alright Miss. It's a normal thing for girls such as yourself. Do you need help?"

"Help? I..I…"

"You can't tell us?" Ave asked, Cielo nodded her head. She looked up and saw Ave smiling happily at her. "It's alright. I understand that we all have secrets we need to keep. But anyway, why don't you come with us first? We'll treat you to lunch okay?"

He said taking her hands and standing her up. Cielo lost her footing and stumbled, but Ave took hold of her waist.

"Woops, someone's haven't been eating properly. You're very light you know that?"

He said with a smile. Cielo's face heated up again and she averted her gaze away from him. Mil snickered and laughed, while Ave glared at him.

"She probably thinks you're lame and hates you already, Ave."

"Shut up Mil! A-anyway Miss, let's go okay?"

Ave said, happily tugging on Cielo's hand. While walking, Ave suddenly stooped and looked at a certain shop.

"What's the matter Ave?" Mil asked. "Ha? Oh, well… Just stay here okay? I'm just gonna buy something over there." He said pointing to a shop, and walking in, leaving Cielo and Mil alone.

"Sigh, that guy can really drive a calm of Brits mad. Picking up a girl and then leaving just like that? Ugh…"

"I am sorry. I do not wish to bring you trouble." Cielo said lowering her head.

"Oh? A deep speaker huh? You're language is very fluent but you can be dumb as a sack of wet hair?"

"I wasn't given prior knowledge, pardon me."

"No, no. it's quite alright. I should apologize though. You got dragged by Ave…"

"Ave?"

"Yes, that guy's name is Aviaries Veolia Anderwick. My name is Miliahelm Von Gurbent. It's very nice to meet you Miss…?"

"Are you asking for my name?"

"Well, yes. Its common courtesy in England. Are you not English?"

"No, I am not. I do not have a name as well."

"You don't?" Mil asked looking at her. Ave came back carrying a bag of dresses in both of his arms.

"What are those Ave?!" Mil asked/shouted.

"Dresses obviously."

"I know that! But for who?!"

"I figured that Cielo might not have any clothes, other than that ragged piece of cloth, so I bought her some."

"Cielo? Who in the English Navy's name is that?!"

"Hers." Ave answered pointing to the clueless girl behind them. "I overheard you guys and I decided to name her that." He answered with a smile. Mil face palmed once again.

'_A name… this man… he gave me a name…'_

Cielo thought blissfully in her mind. A smile made its way to her lips.

"Cielo…" she muttered, catching the attention of Ave and Mil, her two new friends.

"Yeah, your name will be Cielo Elizel Y'l Vlad, meaning a beautiful angel. Do you like it, Cielo?"

Ave asked with an embarrassed smile, while he scratched the back of his head. Cielo, as now the girl was called, smiled at him.

"Yes, very… Thank you...Avey…"

"Avey? But his name is Ave, Cielo." Mil said joining in on the conversation.

"Ah! I want to thank you too, Milly." Cielo answered with a smile. Ave started laughing loudly.

"Milly! Cielo called you Milly! Ahahahahahaha!" He laughed. Mil laughed and argued with Ave, who was still busy laughing his butt off. Cielo smiled and watched from the guidelines.

'_This world, these humans… they aren't worth the punishment they were cast. They deserve to live happily in this world of theirs. They deserve to be with the ones they love… I should return and tell the gods this…but how?'_

"Eh? Cielo? What's wrong?" Ave asked, upon noticing the sad expression on Cielo's face, an expression she didn't notice herself.

"Oh, it's nothing… I..I just realized something… That's all. Please don't worry about me, Avey."

"Heh, it feels kinda weird...having someone call me Avey like that…"

"You don't like it?"

"No, it's not that all. I like it, really…." Ave answered with a blush, Cielo smiled, but she felt a mild sensation of evil. Was it anger? No, it was too small for an emotion like that. Hate? Still, it was too small… Then, what was it? What was that dark emotion hovering in the air?

* * *

"Do you understand now?"

Cielo's battle mode asked, as she and Mikoto stood above them, seemingly floating. No one could see them, seeing as they were mere spirits, illusions casted by a spell.

"What's there to understand about? This is just about Cielo and Aviaries meeting!"

"You are far too naïve. You do not see the evil in things; you only see what you wish to see. You turn a blind eye to the darkness of this world."

"What are you talking about?"

"You are too much of an amateur. You do not see the evil behind the cruel world. Can you not sense it? The evil lurking around them?"

The girl pointed to the three who were happily chatting and walking away. Mikoto looked closely, and saw a dark purple cloud like mist, wrapping itself around the three.

"What the-"

Before Mikoto could finish, she saw Cielo pass out, startling the two men she was with.

"CIELO-SAN!"

She shouted, but alas, her voice could not be heard.

* * *

"Shirai-san?"

Touma asked as he read the static from the other side of the phone line.

"Ah, Kamijou-senpai, I am on my way to Onee-sama so-"

"Shirai-san, I want you to listen carefully okay?"

Touma said as he looked at his right hand, whilst his left hand held a small keychain, of a certain frog character, with a head of spiky black hair. It was the Gekota keychain Mikoto had given him.

"Very well then Kamijou-senpai. What is it?"

Kuroko answered, realizing the seriousness in his voice.

"Could you please stay by Mikoto's side? Never leave her alone, make sure that someone is always with her, someone you can trust. Don't let her go out late at night, or past her curfew. Please don't investigate about what happened in the café anymore. Be wary of the people who come into contact with her. If someone new approaches her, have his or her background checked okay? Make sure she eats properly and sleep enough as well. You-"

"Kamijou-senpai, please just hold on a second. What are you talking about?! Onee-sama will be safe with me, you know that. Why are you saying so many things? And what about the people who come close to her? You go to the same school as her, you should be the one to do-"

"I can't do it anymore Shirai-san."

"And why not?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. He took a deep breath, before looking at Tsuchimikado who stood in front of him, holding a huge suitcase and two slips of paper. Seriousness was written all over his face.

"Ready to go, Kami-yan?"

"Uh..yeah, just a sec okay?"

He answered him. Kuroko was confused.

"Go? Go where Kamijou-senpai?"

"Shirai-san" He closed his eyes and sighed again. "… I …I'm going to England."

-**Chapter end-**

**TOUMA! DAMN YOU! DON'T LEAVE HER!**

**sorry I just gotta fangirl out.**

**QUESTION: **why is touma in england? hmmmm?

**oh well, thanks for reading! please review! i hope you enjoy! JA!**


	10. Reminiscing Memories of the Past

**Yo! I'm back! Well, this is probably the last normal chapter this story is ever going to have! But then again, since my mind is constantly changing, I really don't know... oh well!**

**Hey, hey... this story is gonna have its 1****st**** month anniversary! I remember the first anniversary of Facing Your Fears I ever celebrated. It was roughly 5 months ago. So that means I published my very first story 6 months ago! Oh what the heck... I'm starting to get frustrated for nothing...**

**Let's get it on! **

Chapter 10 (WAAAHHH! It's already chapter 10!)

"...I...I'm going to England..."

Touma answered, taking a deep breath before putting the keychain in his pocket. Seconds have passed and Kuroko still hasn't said anything.

"Uhm...Shirai-san?"

"You..." Kuroko started. Touma could practically feel her murderous intent from the other side of the phone.

"YOU BARBARIC APE! WHAT THE HELL HAS GOTTEN INTO THAT ROTTEN BRAIN OF YOURS! HAVE YOU GOTTEN COMPLETELY INSANE?! WHY THE HELL ARE YOU LEAVING JUST LIKE THAT!" She shouted. She was currently situated in the streets of district 7. She could care less about the people staring at her right now. Someone needed to knock some sense into him!

"Maa...maa Shirai-san... please take pity on this poor Kamijou!"

"Take pity?! Over my dead body you jerk! You have caused my dearest Onee-sama so much pain already! Do you intend on the doing it again?!"

"Shirai-san, you know that I never wanted her to feel that way. It's not like I can control everything that happens around us."

"And so?! Are you just gonna let Onee-sama be here, all by herself, while she is in impeccable danger?!"

"But you're with her, and I know that you'll protect her."

He answered shortly. Though they were thousands of miles away, Kuroko could feel the honesty and warmth of his words. After hearing this, Kuroko took deep breaths and calmed down.

"Very well then, why are you going to England, Kamijou-senpai? Who are you with and how about school?"

"Tsuchimikado and I managed to pull some strings. In documents, we're going to England for some study group, though it is all fake, we managed to make it believable."

"Very well then, as for your reason for going there?"

"We both know very well why I'm going there, Shirai-san."

Touma said grimly as he tightened the grip on his phone. Tsuchimikado could only look at his friend who was now contorted in anger; there was nothing much he could do anyways.

"To find the people behind Onee-sama's predicament?"

Kuroko answered, putting a hand to her waist as she teleported her way to the university clinic where Mikoto lay.

"Damn right I will. I'm gonna drag them out of the hellhole they're hiding in and bring them to Academy City and fix everything. I can't forgive them for making Mikoto suffer like that."

"Yes, I understand completely Kamijou-senpai. Though it is not my style to say this, please be careful and take care of yourself. Onee-sama wouldn't be too happy if you came back all bruised and broken, to the point that you are holding on to life by a mere thread."

"You know Shirai-san, they way you said it, it sounds like you want me to return home in that state..." Touma sweat dropped.

"Ara, ara? Were my intentions that translucent to you?"

"Well...yes...pretty much..."

'_Flight 2965 heading to England will be talking off in 20 minutes. Passengers, please make your way to the entrance...'_

The intercom announced. Touma looked at Tsuchimikado, who just nodded at him. He grabbed his bag and made his way to the entrance. Touma did the same, while holding the phone in his hands.

"Guess I'll see you when I come back, Shirai-san."

"In retrospect, when will you be back Kamijou-senpai? Onee-sama will pry into this once she hears about it."

"Oh...yeah...Just tell her that I'll be back as soon as I can. Please take care of her, alright Shirai-san?"

Touma pleaded with a worried face. Kuroko inwardly smiled, _'You must really care for Onee-sama huh, you idiotic ape...'_ she thought.

"You need not remind me again and again Kamijou-senpai. I shall take care of Onee-sama with the most utter tender-loving-care she would ever need. The kind that you have yet to give her." Kuroko answered with a sly smile, creeping up her face. Touma felt a chill run up his spine, as his blood rushed to his face, he understood what Kuroko meant, and it wasn't something suitable for all ages.

"Please don't sexually harass her. She told you this, she's not interested!" Touma said, shaking his head while blushing madly.

"Humph, don't get too conceited Kamijou-senpai! Just because Onee-sama chose you once doesn't mean she'll choose you again! I'll be sure to drown her in love, affection and aphrodisiacs... kekekeke..."

"THE LAST ONE WAS WAY OUT OF TOPIC!"

"I'll touch parts of her, which you've never seen before! Make her feel loved in a way that you've never done before! Have s-"

"OH GOD! PLEASE SHUT THE HELL UP SHIRAI-SAN! I don't want to hear it! Just don't do anything like that to her, you hear me?!"

Touma shouted, flipping his phone furiously as he shoved it in his pocket. He shook his head as he tried to regulate his breathing and remove the red hue on his cheeks.

"Whew..." Tsuchimikado whistled. "You sure got one hell of a love rival Kami-yan!"

"Shut up Tsuchimikado! Man, that girl is really difficult to handle... I wonder if I should really leave Mikoto in her hands...Oh great! Now I don't want to leave Academy City!"

He said as they passed the security clearance and boarded the plane.

* * *

"Heh, serves him right! It's only right to give him mental torture, seeing as he will be causing Onee-sama more pain! I'm not that desperate to do those things to Onee-sama! Not unless she gives me a sign though...kekeke..."

Kuroko said teleporting from the roof of a building to another. The sun was beginning to set, signalling that it was almost time for curfew.

"Well, at least now...I won't have any doubts... Kamijou Touma... you really do love my Onee-sama huh..."

* * *

"CIELO-SAN!" Mikoto shouted, as she floated right towards where Cielo had passed out. But she wasn't able to touch her, or anyone for that matter.

"It is useless. We are not from this time, we cannot interfere with events from the past."

Cielo's battle mode said, as she drifted next to Mikoto. Ave carried Cielo, while Mil brought the dresses Ave bought for her. They ran as fast as they could, dashing through various citizens on the street.

"Where are they taking Cielo-san?" Mikoto asked.

"She will be brought to a clinic. Would you wish to see?"

"Take me to them." She demanded. The angle raised her right arm and they were blinded by light. The next thing Mikoto knew, she was inside an old...store? Clinic maybe? Medical diplomas were pinned to the walls. Several pictures of two men holding trophies could be seen lining the tables.

"Where are we?" Mikoto asked again as she looked around.

"The Ander-Gurbent clinic. This is where we were taken."

"We? I told you, I'm different. My name is Misaka Mikoto, and her name is Cielo Elizel Y'l Vlad. We are not the same!"

"No matter how much you deny the truth, it will remain the truth."

"Ugh! This is pointless!" Mikoto grunted as she looked around. She then saw a room, whose door was open. She went through it and saw Cielo lying on the clinical bed, with Ave and Mil standing beside her, holding papers.

"Well, you seem to be doing fine, Cielo. Though I don't know why you fainted though."

Ave said as he looked through the papers once more.

"No matter how much you study, you cannot understand me, Avey. Science will never be able to help me."

"Eh? Why is that? Are you doubting science?" Mil asked. Cielo shook her head.

"No. But science and magic can never co-exist. Two different worlds can never meet. I can never be part of your world."

"What? So, are you an alien of sorts then?" Ave asked. Mil face palmed while Cielo stifled a laugh.

"Eh? Did I say something wrong?" Ave asked cluelessly. Cielo wiped away the tears in her eyes before smiling.

"No, you are interesting Avey. For a grown man to believe in things such as aliens."

"Hey! I'm just 20 okay? I'm not that grown up! Mil over here is 19, turning 20 in a few months, he's been my best friend ever since we were kids! How about you Cielo?"

"I...I do not know of such information... How old am I? 400 years...I think..."

Cielo answered as she put a finger to her chin. Ave's mouth dropped to the floor.

"F-f-f-f-our h-h-h-h-undreed? 400 YEARS! MIL!"

Ave said, turning to face his best friend, but he was spacing out, looking oddly at Cielo.

"Hey? Mil? Is everything fine my pal?" He asked. Mil snapped his head as he smiled.

"Uh...oh...yeah...I'm fine... I just didn't know Cielo could be such a prankster."

"A prank! So that's what it is! Cielo you little-! You almost got me there." Ave laughed. Cielo was about to correct him, but Mil stopped her. Later that night, while Ave was cooking dinner, Cielo and Mil were chatting on the balcony of the second floor of the clinic.

"Tell me, you're an angel aren't you?" Mil asked.

"How did you know?"

"This afternoon, when you passed out, I released a fair amount of negative emotions, something in which only angels can react to. You fainted, that just proves it."

"Very impressive, you managed to bring out my true colours. And you? Are you not a magician?"

"Yes, yes I am. I am Miliahelm Von Gurbent; my sorcery name is Condilemus240, which means bringer of the condemned. "

"Your sorcery name is quite... ominous..."

"Well, that's because of what my ability can do. But, back to topic, why are you, an angel, here on earth?"

"I am a Prophetic Angel and I was tasked to bring destruction to the human race." She asked in a downcast voice. Mil looked over to her and sighed.

"You don't like the task given to you?"

"No, no I don't. Humanity is a wonderful race! Yes, there are people who are rude and do wrong things, but there are humans like Avey and Milly! Not all humans are bad. You all deserve to live."

"Angels aren't allowed to disobey orders. What are you gonna do?"

"I do not know. I had planned on returning to heaven and plead for your mercy, but...after spending an afternoon with Avey and you, I...I don't want to go back... I also do not know how to go back..."

"Well, do you need help?" Mil asked, facing Cielo. "In what way can you help?"

"As long as an Angel has their powers, even if they don't want to do a mission, they will fall into what I would like to call, their battle mode. Evil accumulates inside of them and releases huge amounts of manna, which is enough to destroy an entire race."

"What are you implying? And how did you know about this?"

"I have a theory I've been trying to complete. I call it the Angelamistic Theory or Angelism for short. I mean, if we can put a switch to your battle mode, then we can control it. You won't run mad, and you can stay here for as long as you want to!"

"I do not understand... why...why would you be willing to do this for me? You cannot gain anything from this..."

"Actually, you're mistaken. I can gain two things. First, I'll be able to complete my theory. I can put as much data as I need to and have you try them. Second, I can make Ave happy."

"Avey?"

"Well, Ave is an orphan. He's like a brother to me. Our parents were very close, so when his parents died, we decided to adopt him. But ever since then, he's been called a plague, unlucky, a bad omen. He's had it far too much already. But this afternoon, he was very happy, with you. So if keeping you can make him happy, then I'll do anything I can." Mil explained as e looked up the stars, remembering every single detail of their childhood. Cielo smiled.

"You are a true friend. I am glad that despite the misfortune in his life, he had a dependable friend by his side. And that is you, Milly."

"Oh, let's just stop this drama talk. This is getting embarrassing..." Mil blushed, Cielo giggled a bit, before they heard Ave calling out to them, saying dinner was ready. Cielo and Mil went down, a smile greeting them as they sat down for dinner. Mikoto and the other girl watched as the three happily ate their dinner.

"Seeing as it would take us too long, if you were to watch everything, allow me to speed up the pace."

The girl said raising her arm again. Mikoto found herself and the girl in a white room, with boxes all over the place.

"Where are we now?"

"This place is our essence scape. It is similar to a human's memory, but since we are three entities, our memories range much farther than a normal human's. I will now present to you, our 1st generations memories, from 6 centuries ago. We must hurry, we do not have enough time."

"Enough time? Why?" Mikoto asked, but the girl brushed her off. Several films containing the three of them flew past the two of them, seemingly flowing in a rush.

"As you can see, they managed to live happily for almost a month. In that time, Aviaries had fallen in love with us, and proposed, to which we readily agreed."

"W-W-W-AIT! P-P-PROPOSE?!"

"Yes, please do not interfere with my explanation. As I said, we agreed. But on the day of the wedding, guards came and imprisoned us. They found out our true identity and deemed us worthy of death. We were locked in a tower, waiting for our death sentence, until Aviaries came and brought us out."

"He didn't mind that Cielo-san didn't tell him anything about being an angel?"

"No, he said that he doesn't care, 'Cielo is Cielo. You are not a monster. I love you for you, so I promise, we'll be together forever.' He said. A foolish human indeed. They got away, with the help of Miliahelm, but after 4 yours, they were found, Aviaries was killed, and we were taken once again. But this time, they succeeded, in killing us that is."

"What the-"

"The day you first had your premonition of your true identity, that was the scene wherein we died. We were tortured with stakes, before being stoned to near death, before being burned alive."

The girl said straightforwardly, without even batting an eye. The scene where they were killed, drifted by, and it paused. Showing Mikoto an extremely gruesome scene of Cielo...of her being killed.

Cielo was in her white tattered dress, blood smearing all over it. Holes in her sides were excruciatingly apparent, showing off her organs, something which a normal person would have already died of. But she was an angel, mere wounds could not and could never kill her. Next, the stones were thrown, and were aimed right at her vital wounds. Knives, stones, hammers and anvils. All of these were thrown at her, in hopes of killing her. Nobles, police officers, soldiers, normal farmers and their wives, they all had one intention in mind, to KILL Cielo. Mikoto couldn't help but feel awful as her stomach churned and twisted, making her want to hurl. But she put a hand over her mouth, while her other arm held her stomach.

'_These humans...they...they aren't all bad... right, Avey? Even...even if they did kill you...and they're doing the same to me... they...they aren't bad... they still haven't done...anything to *coughs blood* Milly... Maybe...just maybe...Milly can be saved...'_

Cielo managed to think, despite her pain. Even though she was being tortured, she was still smiling, though it was obvious that it was pained.

A tear fell from her eye.

'_Ah? A tear? Avey...look...I...I'm crying... I...can f-finally cry...like you do...'_ she smiled genuinely _'I...really hoped that Milly could see this...Avey...'_

She mused. She felt rough hands grip her sides and carry her without any form of relent. She knew where this was going. She was about to be burned. She felt the flames engulf her body, as her consciousness slowly faded away.

'_Maybe...in the next life...we can be together...Avey... Avey, Milly and me...h-happily...t...t...oge...ther...'_

She breathed, as the last string of life pulling her together finally gave up and broke. She closed her eyes, and waited, as the light came and took her life.

* * *

"Do you understand now?"

A voice asked. Mikoto finally looked up and saw that they were no longer in that gruesome death site. The films that contained the deaths were no longer visible. They were in a normal, endless, white, void space.

"What you saw was real, there is no point denying it." The girl said again. Mikoto's hands were still shaking, but she tried her best to stand straight.

"Cielo-san...she...despite what happened to her, she still didn't hate humans."

"Yes, that is because she has been tainted by the foolishness of them."

"No! You're wrong! It's called compassion! Cielo-san truly loved that Aviaries guy, she accepted humans despite their flaws!"

"All angels have fallen victim to the illusion of love. Your reasoning-"

'_All...angels?_' Mikoto thought, but she shrugged it off.

"I don't give a damn about reasoning! Before, I was...stuck in a situation...when I thought that all was lost, someone...came to my rescue. I asked him what his reason was, and he told me that he didn't need one... That person...he was the one who taught me how to base my acts on what I believed was right, on what I knew is right. He was the one who...brought a new meaning to my life."

Mikoto said, lowering her head, a blush slightly appearing on her cheeks. She gripped her skirt and looked at the other girl standing before her.

"He was the one who taught me to by myself, that it was alright to show my emotions. That I didn't have to keep it all to myself. Because of him, I valued my friends and everyone else in my life, even more than I did before! He was just a human. He's not an angel, he's not an esper, heck, he's not even that smart!" she mused, a small smile playing on her face.

"But even so, he taught me, an angel, how to live my life in the best possible way, without having to hurt anyone. Are you still convinced that humans need to be erased?"

"Humans are inferior to us, that is the truth. Th-"

"It's not! All that you think is the truth, is just what you believe in is real. It's probably not even yours. Maybe...someone is implanting all those in your brain. So tell me, what do you believe in?"

"I...all matters are irrelevant. I have no obligation to answer them."

"See? Why can't you just see it?"

"Time is up. Our first generation's angelic power has been used up. It is time for you to leave, my master bids you farewell and safety."

"Master? Who are you talking about?"

"My master is my master, I will serve him to the very extent of my abilities, until the day I die."

"Your...master huh?" Mikoto said, _'So that's why she said 'All Angels...'. She fell in love too...'_ she said in her mind. The girl kept quiet for a second before speaking up.

"My master says that it is time for you to go. It is about to begin."

"What? What is?"

"You shall find out soon enough."

"Ugh, I won't even try arguing with you. But...what is your name?"

"I have told you, I am you, we are Cielo-"

"No, that's not what I meant, Cielo-san is Cielo-san, and I'm Misaka Mikoto. Surely you have your own name right?"

"..."

"Please tell me?"

"It's...Zeniax... Yvette Vedlore..."

"Zeniax? Very well then, Zeniax-san, will we meet each other again?"

"We are one. Do not question the inevitable."

"Ha-ha, I guess you're right." Mikoto said with a smile as she began fading away, returning to the real world, leaving Zeniax all alone.

"Tch." She muttered in irritation, "My emotions have gotten the best of me yet again. That girl...she is my enemy..."

* * *

"Cielo-san..."

Mikoto said as her eyes opened. She sat up and noticed that she was back in the infirmary.

"Cielo-san, Zeniax-san and me... we're all angels that fell victim to the illusion of love?"

She asked herself, as she stared at her hands. The hands that, according to Zeniax, has killed and destroyed lives.

"Onee-sama?"

A voice asked. Mikoto snapped her head and saw Kuroko teleporting beside her.

"Ah, Kuroko, what're you doing here? And where's that idiot gone off to?"

"Eh...about that, you see Onee-sama..."

Kuroko muttered, as she played with her fingers, making Mikoto suspicious. She narrowed her eyes on the younger girl, giving her a stern look.

"Kuroko..."

"Y-yes? Onee-sama?"

"WHERE. IS. THAT. IDIOT."

"Onee-sama..you should probably rest more... Kamijou-senpai did ask me to make sure you sleep enough so-"

"Quit the damn excuses Kuroko. Where is he?"

"Ugh...Kamijou-senpai is...currently on his way out of the country Onee-sama..."

Kuroko answered dropping her shoulders. Mikoto's eyes grew wide as she stared at her kouhai.

"What? Where?"

"Uuu...he has gone to England, to Worcestershire, if you want to be more specific... "

Kuroko obediently answered, glancing at her senior's reaction. Just as she expected. Small sparks erupted from her bangs, the look of anger and seriousness written all over her face.

"What the hell..."

**-chapter end- **

**Oh my gosh, I can't believe how stupid I can get. Worcestershire is actually a type of sauce, I just thought it would seem cool, but now that I read it, it's pretty weird...**

**Nyaa~ I'm posted this today, June 25, which is 2 days earlier than expected, I wanted to post the 10****th**** chapter on the 1****st**** month anniversary, but hey, I might forget... oh my god, it's been a month already people! Can you believe it! I seriously thought that no one would read this story, but i was proven wrong... i want to thank (yes, please allow me to be sentimental, again) everyone who supported this from the very start. trust me, i want to type in all your names, if only i wasnt so lazy. but i'll type those who are saved in my phone, Namikaze Nara, mikotochan.5, iaroz, werewolf2005, a whole lot of Guests, armoredcorenineball, shadrala, cross faded, bekron the great. yeah, these were the people who pm'ed be before. some of them were saved in my phone and i dunno why...  
**

**well, once again, I'm sorry if I neglected some errors by accident. well, please leave a review. I hope you enjoyed. thanks! till next time! ja-ne!**

**HAPPY FIRST MONTHSARY TO FYF:AGAIN! ... I guess that means that... on July 3, FYF will be celebrating it's 6th month!**


	11. The trouble begins

**YAY! This story reached a hundred! And in 10 chapters too! Ah, that's the best anniversary gift ever! **

**This chapter may seem a bit weird, but thats the way its supposed to be.**

**And now, I present to you, the next chapter of "Facing Your Fears: AGAIN". ENJOY!**

Chapter 11

"Ugh...Kamijou-senpai is...currently on his way out of the country Onee-sama..."

Kuroko answered dropping her shoulders. Mikoto's eyes grew wide as she stared at her kouhai.

"What? Where?"

"Uuu...he has gone to England, to Worcestershire, if you want to be more specific... "

Kuroko obediently answered, glancing at her senior's reaction. Just as she expected. Small sparks erupted from her bangs, the look of anger and seriousness written all over her face.

"What the hell..."

"Onee-sama...please calm down... let's talk this over now, shall we?"

Kuroko asked sweetly as she sweat dropped. The small sparks became huge currents of electricity circulating around her body, as an unimaginable look of anger could be seen on her face. Kuroko gulped as she looked at her Onee-sama.

"Has he left already?"

"Uh...If I'm not mistaken, his flight should be in 5 minutes..."

"Give me your phone." She demanded.

"But Onee-sama..."

"Give me your god damn phone KUROKO!" Mikoto shouted. Kuroko shuddered as she handed her phone to Mikoto and watched her type furiously on it.

'_Onee-sama...please don't break my phone...' _

She pleaded in her head. After about 3 seconds, Mikoto placed the phone to her ears and impatiently listened to its constant ringing.

"Onee-"

"Shut the hell up Kuroko. I'll deal with you later!"

"B-but what did I do?!"

"You let him leave ob- Ugh! Hold it, he's picking up!" She shouted irritably as she looked intensely at the phone.

"Uh hello? Shirai-"

"YOU DAMN B-ST-RD."

"Mi-mikoto?! Why are you...this is Shirai-san's..." he stuttered.

"I know hell of a lot of things about you, Kamijou Touma. If I used my phone, you probably wouldn't have answered it!" she shouted angrily.

"He-he... You got that right BiriBiri. I had already decided not to answer any of your texts or calls before the trip." Touma said with a smile as he looked at Tsuchimikado, who gave him a small smile, before standing up and leaving him be. He mouthed a small thanks before turning his attention back to his conversation with Mikoto.

"You...why do you keep doing stuff like this huh? ...You Idiot..."

Mikoto muttered quietly, but Touma was able to hear it clearly, feeling the sadness in her tone. He smiled in that thought before speaking up.

"I'll be fine Mikoto. I may be unlucky, but I always, and I mean, always get out of things alive."

"Barely alive..."

"Uhhh...at least I'm alive right?"

"When will you ever learn? You shouldn't force yourself to be a hero!"

"Mikoto..."

"I don't need you to be a hero you idiot. Why can't you just stay put like a normal person would?! When will you ever stop acting like everyone needs your help?! I'll say this again! I don't want you to try being a hero anymore! You've already done enough! I already consider you as MY hero! Isn't that enough for you huh?!" she blushed madly, but still continued with her speech. "I've said so many humiliating things, but I'm prepared to say them over and over again, if that would be enough to stop you! You don't know how dangerous this situation is! You don't know how powerful the enemy really is! So please..." Mikoto pleaded, gripping the sheets tightly. Kuroko sighed before slowly leaving them to talk in peace.

"Thank you." Touma answered shortly, making Mikoto snap her head.

"What?"

"I'm glad that you still care about me, even after what happened to us 10 months ago. I do want to stay with you Mikoto. But I can't just sit there and do nothing, while you fight your own battle against those angels who are after your humanity."

"I don't have it anymore! I told you, I'm-"

"You're Misaka Mikoto. You're the 3rd strongest level 5 in Academy City. You're an ojou-sama who likes kicking vending machines and likes kiddie things. That's who you are Mikoto. You are not some angel who was made to destroy Academy City."

"But-"

"No more buts'. You are you. BiriBiri is BiriBiri. You are not some monster."

The moment he said that, Mikoto's eyes widened, a small smile escaping her lips.

"You...you said the same thing."

"What? Who?"

"It's nothing, never mind me. But don't you dare think that I'll just stand around while you go to that damned country! Which flight are you on?"

"EH?! What?! No way! You might just hack into their system and stop the flight!"

"WHICH. FLIGHT. ARE YOU ON."

She asked coldly. Touma shivered from her tone and was about to speak, until the intercom stopped him.

"Passengers of Flight 2965 heading to England, please turn off all your mobile phones and the like for your own safety. The plane will be leaving in 2 minutes, I repeat, two minutes."

"Ah, come on..." Touma sighed.

"2965 huh? 2 minutes is more than enough time for me to hack into the system. I'll see ya in a bit, you narcissistic damned hero."

"You sounded like Accelerator."

"Don't compare me to that jerk!"

"You do realize that you just wasted one minute while talking to me right Mikoto? And another 15 seconds for listening to me." Touma stated as he looked at his watch.

"WHAT? UGH! I can still make it! I'm hanging up now!" Mikoto said taking out her small computer-like tablet and using her powers.

"NO! MIKOTO WAIT!"

"What now?! I'm trying to concentrate!" she shouted back, her eyes still closed, in an effort to make it in time.

"Thank you so much. I never got to say that to you." He said, making Mikoto stop momentarily in her tracks. After a second, she continued with her hacking.

"What the hell are you blabbering about now, you idiot?"

"Mikoto seriously, thank you, for trying to protect me. Thank you for being concerned for me. Thank you for outing up with my stupidity. There are a lot of things I'm thankful to you about, but I'm afraid that it's too many to say."

He said with a smile, thinking that she'd be blushing by now.

"But, if I ever get the chance to talk with you in person again, I'd want to say everything I'm thankful for. Just so you know, I'm not going to England entirely for your sake. It's for mine too. I don't think I can stand being an on-looker while you suffer. I hope you'll be able to understand my selfishness. I'm so sorry." He said. _'30 seconds left'_ He reminded himself before looking at the window, seeing people wave at the plane he was on.

"Mikoto, please be careful okay? As you said, we don't know what's gonna happen. I won't be there to watch over you anymore. And you might wanna watch out for Shirai-san, she might have uhm..plans... again." He mused with a grin before taking a deep breath.

"Mikoto?" he asked. No response, just as he thought. "Please listen to me okay? I know you're still there..." Touma said with a smile.

'_I wonder, will you still listen to what I'm about to say? Or will you ignore it?' _he thought. _'It doesn't matter anymore anyways. I just want you to know the truth.'_

"Mikoto..." he whispered softly. He heard a sniffle, and took it as a yes.

"I love you."

He declared without a hint of hesitation before flipping his phone and turning it off, not even waiting for an answer.

"Nyaa~ you're making this hard for the both of you, you know?"

Tsuchimikado said, taking his seat beside Touma. Touma just grunted as he watched the land from below move past his eyes.

"Mikoto... She'll be fine. I trust her..."

"Nyaa~ Love can be so annoying some times. Look at what it did to the both of you."

"Ugh, put a sock it in it Tsuchimikado. The sooner we get this over with, the better."

He said seriously, gripping his phone in his hands.

"Heh, things are going according to plan...He-he-hee..."

An evil voice laughed in Touma's head, raising his awareness. Tsuchimikado looked weirdly at him.

"What is it? Kami-yan?"

"That voice..."

* * *

"You...you idiot..."

Mikoto breathed as her shoulders shuddered.

"You...dare to tell me that you love me but leave? What the hell is up with your messed up thinking?! Do you...seriously think that this would make me happy?"

She shouted angrily. A loud whooshing sound could be heard. Mikoto looked up and saw an airplane flying through the sky.

"Are you riding that plane right now, huh Touma?"

She asked as a tear fell from her eyes. She vigorously wiped them away from her eyes, until she felt something weird. A weird sense of déjà vu was felt. It was like opening Pandora's Box or something. She looked around and saw a sign that said "University Clinic".

"University Clinic?" she asked herself again. Her head throbbed, so she brought her hand up to caress it. But it ended up riffling her hair. Her hazel hair, which was...short?

"What's going on?"

"Onee-sama!" A familiar female voice shouted. She looked to the door and saw Kuroko, in her usual pig tails and middle school uniform, about to pounce on her. She immediately sent out a shock to her kouhai, but that wasn't enough to completely stop her. She had enough strength to make it to her bedside, then her body gave up.

"Mou...Onee-sama should be more open to her love for Kuroko~"

"Say that again and you'll get a Railgun right through you, you hear me Kuroko?"

"Onee-sama...you can be so cruel sometimes. Try being nice to me will you?"

"Try being normal for once. Anyway, Kuroko?"

Mikoto asked, glancing over to her. Kuroko just sat properly on a chair and looked at her.

"Yes, Onee-sama?"

"Was my hair...always this short?"

She asked as she played around with the short hazel strands

"Ha? Well yes Onee-sama. Though I'm not sure how I should respond to that. Why'd you ask?"

"It's just well...I think...something's wrong here..."

"Wrong?"

"Yeah, I mean, why am I even here? Why are we in a university clinic when we're both middle schoolers?"

"Eh? Well that's because you...ah? You're right. What are we doing here?"

Kuroko asked standing up and looking around. Mikoto shrugged it off and got off the bed. The moment her feet touched the ground, a weird feeling came over her, like the feeling of nostalgia.

'_What the-? Why do I feel so weird?' _

She thought as she put on her shoes. She suddenly noticed that Kuroko became quiet all of a sudden.

"Oi, Kuroko why are you so quiet?" she asked looking forward, then she noticed the weird look on her face. Kuroko was DROOLING.

"O...Onee...s..s..a..samaaa..."

The younger girl muttered.

"D...do you plan on...seducing me with your clothes?!"

Kuroko shouted as her eyes turned to stars, and her drool was like a river flowing out of her mouth. Mikoto blushed and stared at her clothes. She was wearing the high school uniform of Tokiwadai, and it didn't exactly fit where it should be. Especially in the chest area.

"WHERE THE HELL DID I GET THESE CLOTHES?!"

She shouted covering herself with the blankets.

"Kuroko! Get me my real clothes okay?!" she ordered, Kuroko just stood there and watched Mikoto.

"KUROKO! GET ME CLOTHES RIGHT NOW!"

She shouted. Kuroko teleported away and back. This time, she brought her clothes and Mikoto changed. While they were walking out, people stared at the two of them.

"Hey, that's the Railgun right?"

"Yeah, why is she here?"

"Maybe she'll transfer?"

"But she's just a middle schooler!"

"Yeah, but I heard she's really smart."

"Then why is she here?"

Murmurs erupted everywhere as they walked out of the university.

"Onee-sama, your fan club is growing bigger again." Kuroko mused.

"Ugh, shut it. I don't want to remember that, and besides, we've got bigger things to take care of, like what was I doing there and how did you know I was there?"

"Hmm, I don't know either. A coincidence maybe?"

"That's impossible Kuroko. How could we be in the same unknown place at the same time? It just doesn't make sense."

"Then maybe-"

"Excuse me, Railgun-san?"

A familiar voice asked, making Mikoto and Kuroko turn. They saw a girl, with long dark brown copper hair, in a frilly pink dress.

"I'm sorry, but Onee-sama prefers to be called by her name. Oh, and she also doesn't make autographs. So please be on your way."

Kuroko said bowing politely. The girl just sneered and walked past her.

"I wasn't talking to you, little girl. I came for little miss Railgun over here."

She said brushing Kuroko of and looking down at Mikoto. Kuroko fumed in anger, but she controlled her temper, realizing that it would me demeaning for her to pick a fight, out on the street like that.

"Tch. What do you want, old hag?"

Mikoto suddenly asked. _'Ugh, I don't why, but I have this unnerving feeling at the back of my mind. My blood just...boils...'_ she thought.

"Ara, ara? Old hag? The ACE OF Tokiwadai, calling me an old hag? Now isn't that a disappointment?"

"Shut up. Who are you and what do you want with me?"

"Names aren't important right now, Misaka-chan~ I just want to fight."

The girl said raising her index finger and firing off a white beam, aimed at Mikoto's chest. Upon realizing this, Mikoto created a magnetic field in front of her and jumped away. The white light managed to graze her sides, but she was fine nonetheless.

"Onee-sama!" Kuroko shouted as she teleported beside her.

"I'm fine Kuroko. But this girl is really asking for it..."

She muttered angrily.

"This is Judgment! I, Shirai Kuroko, am arresting you on the account of assaulting a civilian. Please come with me to the office."

Kuroko said pulling out her Judgement armband and showing it off the girl.

"Judgement? Oh please, as if you can do something about this. I just want a match with the Railgun, is that so wrong? She's a level 5, she can handle herself."

"Level 5 or not, Onee-sama is still a civilian, what you did is against and punishable by law!"

"Tch, shut up you little twerp. I told you, I'm not after you. I'm after HER. So back off."

She said shooting Kuroko a glare. Kuroko was about to attack her, when she heard electricity cackle behind her. She just knew where this was going.

"Kuroko..."

Her onee-sama started. Mikoto walked past her, so now, she was standing in front of her.

"Do you think you can pass this one off? Just this one time. I just have this really huge urge to beat the crap out of this old hag."

She said as electricity cackled around her entire body, meaning that she was definitely in the mood for a fight.

"But Onee-sama!"

"Kuroko, just leave me. This one time okay?"

Mikoto stressed each word as she moved forward, electricity surging through the length of her arms. Kuroko heaved a sigh, before teleporting away. '_I'll be back, Onee-sama...'_ she thought. The other girl just smirked as she watched her move.

"Are you sure about that? Letting your private boot licker off just like that?"

"Call my friend a boot licker again, and I swear, you will die."

"Oh? Was that a threat?"

"Why don't you try me? Old hag?"

Mikoto said as she released huge amounts of electricity straight at the girl. The girl just jumped away from it, a smile on her face.

"Ara, ara? That was a bit too rough, wouldn't you say, Misaka-chan?"

"Rough? Oh please, why don't you show you're true strength? I know you're stronger than you look, old lady."

Mikoto said as she stood in her fighting stance. The girl looked at her before giggling.

"What the hell's so funny huh?"

"Oh...it's nothing... It's just; you're a lot smarter when you're young. But you're also more rash and irrational. I don't know which version of you I prefer. The older or the younger. Ha-ha."

"Are you getting delusional? What do you mean older version of me? Are you some sort of freaking time travelling alien or something?"

"Hmm... let's save the talk for AFTER the fight!"

The other girl said dashing forward. She held out her index finger, and just like before, a pure white light came out of it. She dodged sideways, barely missing it again. This time, it gashed the sides of her uniform, leaving an ugly black spot.

"Aw, too bad... I messed up the princess' clothes. Will I get punished then?"

"UGH, I'll get you for that!"

She shouted moving forward, bringing out an arcade coin_. 'No one's around right now. No one will get hurt, so as long as I hold back my power, she should be alive. But what is this girl? She isn't an esper, I'm sure of that... Just what is she?'_

She thought as she looked around. After a few rounds of double checking, she confirmed that no one was around, she prepared the calculations in her mind for her Railgun. A strong electromagnetic wave powered beam came flying through the horizon in an orange beam. A huge puff of smoke erupted from the ground, covering the entire area.

"What? Don't tell me that you're dead already? That wouldn't be fun at all..." She mused, it's not like she wanted her to die. But if she showed any sigh of pity, that would be a great disadvantage. A few seconds have passed and no response was heard. Mikoto was starting to get worried.

"OI! Are you still...alive in there?"

"I was...wrong..."

A lone figure suddenly said, rising from the cloud of dust. Mikoto was held back in her stance as she watched her move.

"I was wrong ha-ha..."

"What on earth are you muttering now huh?"

"Whether in the past, or future, or even your past life, you are STUPID." The girl said in a maniac smile as she began walking towards Mikoto.

"YOU'RE STUPID ENOUGH TO PITY YOUR ENEMY! THAT WILL BE YOUR GREATEST WEAKNESS! THAT WILL BE YOUR DOWNFALL YOU IDIOT!"

She screamed as she ran towards Mikoto at nearly the speed of light. Knowing for a fact that her Railgun wouldn't make it, Mikoto did the best next thing. She gathered iron sand particles around her to form a shield and jumped sideways, avoiding her and doing a flip in mid-air.

"DO YOU THINK YOU CAN AVOID ME THAT EASILY?!" Her enemy shouted as she pivoted her body, turning so that she could face Mikoto, who surprisingly had a smile on her face.

"What?"

"Gotcha!" she mused as the iron sand shield boosted forward, hitting her square in the face. After she fell to the ground, Mikoto skilfully maneuvered the particles to gather around the girl's body and contain her movements. The girl struggled in her lying position on the ground.

"Never underestimate the power of Physics, old lady." Mikoto said proudly as she stood, hovering above her. The girl stopped squirming,

"And never underestimate the power of an angel, little girl."

She said, as the winds around them suddenly howled bitterly. Mikoto looked back and forth, shivering in the cold wind. She noticed the girl stand up, with the iron sand chains, breaking as she did.

"What the-"

"Angels Requiem: Wind Transverse." She said in a dark tone, life completely lost in her eyes. Winds started picking up, and turning a bit gray. It formed blades and moved towards Mikoto, which her deflected by her electromagnetic barrier. The blades were buried deep into the ground, leaving huge marks. Mikoto heard a small laugh before she looked forward, only to be greeted by a huge wall of powerful wind, being completely unaware as she was, Mikoto was forced back, her spine hitting a pole forcefully. Mikoto groaned in pain as she slowly fell to the ground.

"Is that it? Is that the power of the heiress?"

The girl asked, tilting her head to the side. Mikoto pushed her body to stand up and face her.

"H-heiress? To what?"

"You don't even know who you are? Pathetic. You don't deserve the Kingdom, if you're that weak."

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!"

"SILENCE!"

The girl shouted as she sent another wall of wind at Mikoto, this time, the impact wasn't as much. Though the pain from her previous injury was making it hard for her to move. She fell on her right side, damaging her right arm.

"Now, what should I do with the lost princess? Should I take her back? Or maybe keep her in a dungeon to suffer?"

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

Mikoto shouted, glaring at the other girl's figure. The other girl smirked,

"_**Who am I?**_

_**A question asked too many times.**_

_**But the answer was never found,**_

_**For all thoughts were profound."**_

She recited, making Mikoto's consciousness fade. But she pushed the pain away. She couldn't lose now, who knows what this psychopath would do to her?! The girl walked closer and closer to Mikoto's sitting figure. She clutched her right arm, trying to bear the pain. The girl had a creepy smile on her face, like the ones you'd imagine to see in a dentist when he's about to take your tooth. She reached out her hand to Mikoto's head, grasping it roughly. Mikoto closed her eyes in pain, as she didn't know why her body wasn't responding to her.

"Don't hurt her, Zeniax."

A voice suddenly echoed in the wind, making the girl shudder and drop Mikoto. She looked around, seemingly stunned by fear from the voice.

"Tch, looks like I'll have to let you go, for now Misaka-chan~. My master is getting worried about you..."

She said as a gust of wind came and wrapped itself around her and rising from the ground, disappearing into the air, taking the girl with it. Mikoto was left all alone in the ruined streets, leaning on the pole whilst sitting on the dirty pavement. The pain from her injuries was still evident, but not as much.

"What the heck was that all about?"

She asked herself as she tried to stand and looked up to the sky. The sky where that girl seemingly disappeared to. Who was she? What was her true objective?

What was happening to Academy City? Will Touma be in time to save it?

-chapter end-

**Ha... that was tiring... anyways, I kept referring to Zeniax as that other girl, because Mikoto doesn't know her...yet...or so she thinks... i don't want to explain much, because then I'd be spoiling a surprise. Sorry if you think everything was a bit...hurried? I kinda thought it was too... nyaa~ I dont really know, because after watching TAKNR S ep 12, especially the baby Misaka part, my mind is like...in...heaven right now...  
**

**hai...hai...I will shut up now! well, thats another chapter done! **

**Oh wait! can you guess what just happened to Mikoto and Academy City?**

**thanks for reading! please leave a review! till next time! BELATED HAPPY MONTHSARY TO THIS STORY! JA!**


	12. We're back in the PAST!

**Heya! I'm back! I don't know if my updates are long or what, I'm too busy to think about that… oh well, allow me to clarify some stuff about last chapter.**

**First, what's happening is NOT ENTIRELY a memory phenomenon. So this doesn't have a direct relation to "Forgotten" by ArmoredCoreNineBall. (Greetings to that person!) But I do read that specific story though, along with other (meaning a lot of) great fics of To aru Majutsu no Index and To aru Kagaku no Railgun. **

**Second, if you want to know what it really is, then read this chapter and the next one.**

**Wow, that was stupid… anyways, here it is! The first part of the unraveling! … Okay, I'll shut up now. Please enjoy!**

**Chapter 12**

"- Onee-sama! Do you understand what I am trying to say?"

Kuroko rambled as she stood in front of her senior, who was sitting on a chair while Uiharu treated some of her scratches.

"Yeah, yeah…" Mikoto waved her off. She was starting to get annoyed. After the fight, Kuroko had teleported back, along with Uiharu, but alas, the girl was nowhere to be found. So after filing a case, much to Mikoto's annoyance, they went to the office to let Mikoto rest. But as one could imagine, she couldn't rest at all. Kuroko had been talking and talking non-stop for about two hours now, and she still wasn't finished.

"UGH! Onee-sama! You are Tokiwadai's pride and joy! Never mind the reputation; you are a girl and a civilian! You should know better than-"

"Maa, maa, Shirai-san. As long as Misaka-san is safe, everything's fine right?"

Uiharu asked as she smiled at her friend.

"Uiharu! How dare you consolidate Onee-sama's actions! As a member of Judgment, you should be on my side in this argument!" Kuroko shouted angrily.

"Shirai-san, I'm not taking sides here. Yes, what Misaka-san did is against common law-"

"See! You said it yourself! What she did was wrong!" Kuroko asked pointing a finger at her, making Mikoto feel more irritated as she sat in silence.

"Please let me finish Shirai-san! Misaka-san may be wrong, but she did what was best at the moment. We don't know who the culprit was, she may have been something only one of the level 5's of this city can handle."

"But even so-!"

"Kuroko! Fine, I get it. I'm sorry okay?" Mikoto said standing up, shaking off Uiharu's arm, which was tending to her right hand. "I already know I was wrong, so can we please just move on?"

"Onee-sama! This is not just a matter of 'moving on', as you call it. This is Judgment and Academy City's peace we are talking about!"

"So you won't shut up even if I tell you that I'll go out with you?" Mikoto asked as a sly smile was on her face. Kuroko's eyes turned into hearts as her mouth began watering. Mikoto laughed before continuing.

"With Saten-san and Uiharu-san as well of course." Those words shattered Kuroko's imagination, making Mikoto and Uiharu laugh.

"Way to shatter Shirai-san's illusions Misaka-san." Uiharu commented.

"Shatter…illusions?" Mikoto suddenly muttered out, breaking from her laughter. Kuroko, after recovering from their earlier…predicament, shook her head and looked at Mikoto.

"What is it Onee-sama?" she asked worriedly.

"Huh? Oh…it's nothing I guess. I just suddenly thought that 'Shatter illusions' should mean something to me."

"What kind of meaning would that corny line mean to you, Onee-sama? Please don't tell me that's a line from one of those kiddy shows of yours." Kuroko asked, narrowing her eyes on her senpai. Mikoto immediately blushed and tried to argue it off, while Uiharu just smiled as she watched.

"Then maybe it's the catch phrase of her boyfriend!"

A familiar voice suddenly said. The three girls turned their heads and saw Saten Ruiko, behind Uiharu, flipping her skirt.

"S-S-S-SATEN-SAN!"

"Yo!"

That was the common greeting, whenever the four of them met up, Mikoto smiled while Kuroko sighed, they had gotten used to it, but it's still kinda weird. After a while of bickering, mostly on Uiharu's part, they managed to steer the conversation back to the topic at hand.

"Anyway, what were you saying when you came in Saten-san?" Uiharu asked as she brought tea to the table for everyone. Mikoto blushed and blurted out her tea.

"YEAH! You said something about me having a b-b-b-b-b"

"Boyfriend?" Kuroko said, watching Mikoto from the corner of her eye, as she sipped her tea gracefully. Mikoto rapidly bobbed her head up and down.

"Ah? That? I just read it from a site." She answered with a playful smile.

"Really Saten-san, you should stop reading those stuff. It will corrupt your brain one way or another." Kuroko said.

"It already has Shirai-san…" Uiharu said whimpering as comical tears ran down her face.

"Yeah well, a lot of topics about Misaka-san came up so I decided to read a bit."

"About me?" Mikoto asked. Now everyone was keen on hearing the conversation.

"Yeah, actually, the original threads date back to about three years ago. It was about Misaka-san having a boyfriend. The person who posted it said that he heard and saw a girl from Tokiwadai rampaging on the street trying to kill a spiky haired high school boy. The girl kept on shouting obscene terms, until the Railgun had enough, shocked the girl, apologized for the damage caused and left, while the boy carried the girl. I guessed that the girl was Shirai-san, am I right?"

"Well, Kuroko would probably do that…but…3 years ago? I haven't even met her then! I was probably still on the final tiers of my level 5 power development. Besides, I was 11 back then! How on earth could I have a boyfriend when I was just a child?!" Mikoto wondered.

"I know, that was the weird thing Misaka-san, that post…it was from the future."

Saten answered seriously. The other girls' minds were filled with different thoughts.

"Wait, wait, you lost me there. From the future? What sort of nonsensical crap is this?"

Mikoto asked as she stood up. Uiharu hobbled off to her computer and began typing away.

"I don't know Misaka-san, but have you checked your phone? You too Shirai-san." Both girls shook their heads as they began taking out both their phones and checked the date.

"What the-?! This is… 3 years from the future!" Kuroko remarked.

"What is this? Did we subconsciously travel through time or something?!" Mikoto added. Saten could only shrug her shoulders and sigh.

"Ah! I found it!" Uiharu suddenly shouted, all the girls were huddled around her in an instant.

**Level 5 Love Interest?!**

** The Railgun, or the 3****rd**** strongest level 5 as we know her, is officially dating someone! I heard it myself, on the streets of District 11; from a Tokiwadai girl on a rampage. I don't really know her, but she might be the "Judgment Terror Teleporter" or the "Teleporter from Hell", still the two are the same person, so it doesn't matter what you call her. Anyway, she kept on trying to assault and kill a high school guy who had spiky hair. She called him "Ape, Barbarian, Molesting B-st-rd, retarded jack ass, perverted f****r" and a whole lot more. The Railgun got tired of shouting after a while and just shocked the other girl senseless, she apologized and paid for the damage they caused and left, with the boy carrying the other girl. And get this, from what I heard; the boy is a LEVEL 0!**

**Earliest Discussions:**

**-Oh sh-t! How lucky are you? Seeing two legends in a day!?**

**-Wow, and I thought Tokiwadai girls were all nice and proper.**

**-Tokiwadai chicks' rock.**

**-Is the guy a 'legend' too?**

**-Dunno, maybe yes, maybe no.**

**-Who's the lucky b-st-rd who won the level 5's heart?**

**-Dunno, but he really doesn't consider himself lucky. He kept on shouting 'Such Misfortune' the whole time.**

**-LOVE TRIANGLE!**

**-Aww, I wanted to ask her out!**

**Latest Discussions:**

**-Uhm, this post is under my account, but I don't remember putting it up! Besides, 3 years ago?! I wasn't even in Academy City back then!**

**-Hah? You have amnesia or something?!**

**-No man, check out the dates on the other news, they're all 3 years in the future!**

**-what?**

**-No sh-t man! He's right!**

**-what the hell?**

**-Why is the Railgun the topic of the newest discussions?**

**-Yeah, I read that she moved to a university and she's a freshman, but she's just a middle schooler right?!**

**-what the f**k is happening here?!**

**-The internet forgot what year we're in?**

**-(-_-)- Well aint that sh-t Sherlock! How the hell can computers forget! Its freaking damned programmed!**

**-Don't shoot the messenger people! I don't know why this is happening!**

**-click to read more (378,956 ++more threads)**

***++ means that the threads are rapidly increasing by the second; the computer is having trouble catching up**

"One of the early discussions made me throw up." =_= Mikoto.

"Aw, our love has supporters online Onee-sama!" +_+ Kuroko.

"That's not the issue here Shirai-san!" '=_= Uiharu.

Saten stifled out a laugh before focusing her attention on the monitor.

"Hmm, that's odd… this was only 200,000++ when I saw it about an hour ago…"

"THAT FAST?!" The other three girls reacted. They slumped back on the couch and sighed.

"What on earth is happening? Why am I involved in this?" Mikoto cursed.

"Setting that aside, it seems like we are 3 years in the future… So thinking about it, I and Uiharu would be 16, Saten-san would be nearly 17, and Onee-sama, would be either 17 or 18… so 3 years back from then would be now right?" Kuroko asked as she massaged her temples and nose bridge.

"Yes…but why is this happening, and why are we in our 3 years past bodies if the time frame we're in is the correct one?" Uiharu asked.

"I don't know, but considering the fact that Misaka-san is 17 or 18, the possibility of her being in a university is pretty high." Saten remarked.

"Why would you say that Saten-san?" Mikoto asked as she rose from her earlier slumping position on the couch to face the girl opposite of her.

"Well, if what we all said is correct, then shouldn't you be a 2nd year high school student? Maybe…just maybe, something happened, so you were forced to skip years… the thing that I'm wondering about is your 'supposed boyfriend'."

"Okay, now that one is utterly impossible Saten-san. Onee-sama? Have a boyfriend? That's the same as believing in magic and angels!"

Kuroko said with a sigh. A light lit up in their minds, but it immediately went dull. They looked at one another, while each was deep in thought.

"Was…that supposed to mean something?" Saten asked tilting her head to the side.

"I don't know… But I do feel like it does…" Uiharu answered as she racked her brain from some answers. Kuroko put a finger to her chin, as something came to mind.

"Wait, Onee-sama and I found ourselves in a University Clinic… if Onee-sama is a freshman…then that means she skipped 2 years… Uiharu! Check anyone in the database who is 16 years old, a level 0, and has spiky black hair!"

Kuroko commanded, Uiharu took her laptop and begun her search.

"Uh, not a single match Shirai-san…" Uiharu said dejectedly. Everyone else sighed in defeat, lacking their conviction.

"_3 years in the future, remember?"_ a voice whispered into Mikoto's ear.

"Wait…we're three years in the future right? Try searching for someone who is between 19 and 20!" Mikoto suggested. Without waiting for a reply, Uiharu had already begun her search.

'_That voice… who was it?_' Mikoto thought in her mind. Meanwhile, Uiharu was preoccupied with searching. After a few seconds, her face brightened up.

"One match found Misaka-san!" she shouted happily. She plugged her laptop to a projector and turned off the lights with a remote. A few seconds later, the picture of a boy with spiky black hair, with seemingly droopy raven eyes appeared. He wore a black jacket over a gray shirt with orange streaks. His name capitalized in bold letters beside it. Mikoto's eyes widened, as a surge of a weird emotion came and filled her heart. She gripped her chest as she uttered his name, a smile making it way to her lips.

"Kamijou Touma…" she said, with a brilliant glint in her eyes.

* * *

"Achoo!"

Kamijou Touma sneezed and rubbed his nose as they sat on a plane. He and the socially proclaimed blonde-haired idiot were currently half way around the planet, on their way to Worcestershire, England.

"Catching a flu are we Kami-yan?" His friend remarked.

"Ugh, shaddup Tsuchimikado. Someone must've been missing me."

"Missing you? That would probably be Misaka-chan, wouldn't you think so?" he said with a sly grin on his face. Tsuchimikado just loved pulling Touma's sock off. The earlier comment made the latter blush and turn away.

"When will you ever stop being a b-st-rd Tsuchimikado…"

"Never and I'm proud of that."

"Jerk."

"Thank you. Anyway, Kami-yan, I think you should know something." He begun seriously. Touma sat up. He looked around and noticed that almost, if not all, the passengers were asleep.

"What is it?"

"The moment we left Academy City, something was triggered."

"What?! What's happening over there?! Ugh, I'm just gonna call Mi-" Touma said taking out his phone, until Tsuchimikado stopped him.

"Call Misaka-chan?" he asked. "Don't be stupid. You know what happens when you use a phone in very delicately high altitudes Kami-yan. We're gonna crash if you do that."

"But what happened to Mikoto, Fukiyose, and everyone else?"

"They're fine. I used a bit of magic to at least trace if their okay or not. It would be dangerous if something happened to Cielo Elizel Y'l Vlad while we were away."

"She has a name Tsuchimikado. What you said wasn't hers."

"I know, I was referring to her battle mode when I said that. Anyway, Misaka-chan probably got into a simple run-in with an enemy-"

"Magician or ESPer?" Touma asked, interrupting him.

"None of the above nyaa~"

"What the hell is tha—Oh God, please don't tell me…." Touma said face-palming, upon realizing the truth.

"Yup, she fought an angel. The second generation, to be precise."

"What the hell is 'second generation' supposed to mean?"

"Well, Vlad is the first, who lived in the 14th century. Vedlore is probably the second, seeing as she is in between Vlad and Misaka-chan. And obviously, Misaka Mikoto is the third generation."

"Vedlore? Who the hell is Vedlore?"

"Zeniax Yvette Vedlore. That's the name of Vlad's split personality."

"What?"

* * *

"Wow, never thought that he'd be the one to notice us, Ave." a caped figure said as he sat on a chair, cross-legged.

"Well, what can I say Mil? Humans of today are quite intriguing. Though they can be a royal pain in the nicker's butt."

Another man, Ave as he was called, in the same cape design said as he sat beside him.

"What's next then?" the first man, Mil, as he was called, asked, looking over beside him, only to see his friend smiling at him.

"Have you gotten senile Mil? Of course there's only one reasonable thing to do."

He said as he stood up and took off the hood of his cape, revealing slightly wavy strands of ash blonde hair, paired with emerald green eyes, sparkling with excitement.

"I'm going to meet up with Cielo of course."

"Already? But Cielo is still stuck inside that girl's body and she doesn't remember anything because of Magna Valera."

"Yes, I know, but right now, all the hindrances have been removed. All the anomalies have been erased. Nothing can stop me from getting Cielo back."

"The only real hindrance was that boy you know."

"Tch, don't even remind me of him. What was his name again? It was Ka-Ka- what was it again Mil?"

"Kamijou Touma. The Imagine Breaker person."

"Ah yes, the Imagine Breaker. Now I remember. Things are going according to plan, he went out of the land of sinners and in a matter of minutes, he'll be trapped in the Kingdom. Cielo will be defenseless due to loss of manna, no one can destroy Magna Valera, and her human container is failing."

"Sigh, I know you're happy, but try not to lose your pants in the middle of it, Ave."

"Lose my pants? Was I supposed to think green thoughts or something?"

"No you idiot. I meant, try not to get over confident. We still don't know what that boy is capable of, he might just be able to stop us in time."

"Magna Valera is doing fine Mil. Now, can I go out and have some fun?"

Ave asked as he gave Mil his signature puppy dog eyes and begged. Mil rolled his eyes and turned his head.

"Fine, I've got nothing more to do with this. I'll go back to Worcestershire."

"Thanks for helping me, and lending Zeniax to me, Mil."

"Don't get sentimental on me now Ave. Just…make sure…. That this time, you can have your happily ever after okay? With Cielo of course."

"Yeah, you can count on that, thanks again, Mil."

Ave said as he watched Mil stand up and suddenly disappear. He stared at the emptiness before him. It was the same old room. Same cold brick tiles, same two chairs, same table, same huge mirror. But this time, it will be different. Things can never be the same, after what was about to happen.

"Will you be happy, Cielo?"

He asked aloud, staring at the space. The furniture started dissipating, moving into nothingness. The room was seemingly distorted, as if it was a mere fictional world, and it was now being destroyed. After a few seconds, it was totally gone from sight. Ave looked around and saw that he was in the middle of a bustling street. He turned his head and saw the words "District 6". He also took notice of the girls blushing and staring at him, admiring him. He gave them a smile, making them squeal, and some faint. He laughed it off before proceeding forward, hands in his pockets.

"Humans…we can be so foolish, right Cielo?"

He whispered looking up at the bright blue sky. The day was beautiful. Perfect, he thought. Everything was perfectly in place, everything was in order, just in time for Angel Tear.

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Archbishop?"

Index Librorum Prohibitorum, the girl who had 103,000 grimoires stuck in her head, asked as she stood beside the aforementioned Archbishop, Laura Stewart, who just finished her afternoon prayer. Laura stood up and walked to the door, with Index slowly following behind her.

"Well, that boy is on his way here, it's not like we can do much to stop him anymore." She sighed.

"But you promised me that Touma and short-hair will be fine! You said that we won't have to ask them for any help to stop that spell!" Index whined as the huge mahogany doors slipped open.

"Index, Kamijou Touma is the type who will never listen or learn his lesson. Once he finds out about what Angel Tear is all about, he'll definitely step into the fray and put a stop to it himself, even at the cost of his own life."

Stiyl suddenly said, he was wearing his usual gothic cape, a cigarette in his mouth. He leaned on one of the frames of the door and looked at the two members of Necessarius.

"But Stiyl…"

"Stiyl is right Index. No matter how much you care for him, he still won't listen to you." Laura said tilting her head to the side, trying to look cute.

"But even so! Touma is like my brother! He takes care of me, and I want him to be happy! But…" Index lowered her head as she pouted. Stiyl did the same, minus the pout, while Laura looked at Index. She sighed before moving forward.

"But he can never be happy, if the one he loves is his greatest enemy."

She continued Index's sentence, as she heard two sets of footsteps follow her. Stiyl and Index remained quiet.

"I'm sorry, I thought that we could stop this, by cutting off our connection with them, but I guess we only managed to stall it for nearly four years. I knew it was inevitable, but it didn't hurt to try. Misaka Mikoto is the 3rd generation; she wields the power of both sides. Her entire existence is an anomaly."

She said solemnly, the sound of ringing suddenly broke the silence. Stiyl took out his phone and answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Stiyl? It's me." A male voice said. Index and Laura looked at one another, before facing Stiyl seriously.

"Ah, Friedrich Claude. What is it?"

"Progress report." Friedrich Claude, the one with the sorcery name Pedophilus165, meaning 'to protect from the defiled', and who also is a complete and utter pedophile, answered.

"Go ahead."

Stiyl said as he closed his eyes and sighed, preparing for the worst news ever. He heard Friedrich take a deep breath before speaking.

"I met a really cute 6 year old here! She has the most adorable platinum blonde hair and has chocolatey brown eyes! Then she has these cute chubby, rosy cheeks that just look so adorable and-"

"You damn pedophile! I don't want to hear about your perverted endeavors! Tell me what I want to hear!"

Stiyl shouted angrily as Index sighed, and Laura smiled. Silence lapsed in the seconds.

"Are you sure you want to hear it, Stiyl?"

"Judging from your tone, I'd rather hear about you and your stupidity, but knowing the magnitude of the situation, I'm going to have to opt for the worst.."

"Sigh, Angel Tear has begun. Changes are already starting to take place over here."

"Where is that idiot?"

"The one who surpasses God?"

"He has a lot of names, but you know who I'm referring to."

"He's on his way here. He's with the spy. Any orders on what we're supposed to do?"

Fried asked. Stiyl massaged his temples as he strode back and forth, before coming to a decision.

"Crash his plane. Prevent him from entering the foreign territory at once."

"What about the girl?"

"Did you really have to ask?"

"I'm just making sure."

"Sigh, you know what to do."

"But isn't that a bit too harsh? She's innocent! We'd be taking lives here! Innocent ones!"

"No one is ever truly innocent in this conceited world Friedrich Claude. Besides, she's grown up, she doesn't fit in the pedophiled category anymore. It isn't your style to care about girls who aren't kids."

"She's still human Stiyl."

"She's long been dead, we all know that."

He said hanging up on him. He clutched the phone in his hands as Index and Laura watched. Laura placed a hand on Index's shoulder, and pushed her forward, allowing Stiyl to be alone.

"For four god damned years, we knew she was dead. We knew this would be happening. We knew her destiny. Yet we couldn't do anything to stop history from repeating itself…"

**-chapter end-**

**HEY! Frie-kun is back! Yes, that's my pet name for him. Fifi will probably be back in a while. (try guessing who that one is). Okay, so now the cast is literally all set! Necessarius cut off their connections to everyone outside of the Magic side to prevent-, just want to make that clear.**

**So, a lot of terms to explain huh? Examples are Magna Valera, Angel Tear, the Kingdom, land of Sinners, some statements and a whole bunch of other things. I'll only give a brief description of them, since they'll be tackled more thoroughly next chapter.**

**Let's begin with Magna Valera, Magna means great magnitude while Valera, means unknown force that disrupts. This was taken from a lesson we had when I was in elementary, I found an old notebook about it, so I used it. Try and guess what Magna Valera's purpose is okay?**

**Angel Tear…is a secret, for now. Try guessing it.**

**The Kingdom, well…that came from Religion class. It's meaning is pretty obvious…**

**Land of the sinners refers to Academy City, whoever got that wrong: what the heck guys? It was way too obvious! Just kidding….**

**Hey, while I was fiddling around with my phone, I discovered that Railgun has a…weird manga special. It's probably just a fan art or something, but it was KamiKoto, as in Mikoto and Touma had both accepted their feelings for one another (slightly) and things were going so well for them so I downloaded it. I stopped reading it, because class was about to start. Its existence has been acknowledged by the original creators of the to aru series! (well, from what I heard anyway). Later that night, I continued reading it, I was so entranced by it that I was fan-girl-ing (hyperventilating more likely) at 12 midnight. And I woke up with a massive, head-splitting head-ache! So if you guys come across it, remember not to read it on a school night okay? But if you're normal unlike me, then you can do as you please. I'm just warning ya!**

**Since I'm getting sleepy (time check 11:13 pm) I think I'll stop now. Sigh, I've been staying up way too late these past few days… I mean, come on, who gives Investigatory Projects, performance tasks, quizzes, exams, reviews for college entrance exams, school activities, outdoor competitions, school-regulated parties, National Achievement Test review course program, the real NAT exams, college entrance and college applications all AT THE DAMNED SAME TIME?! Man, I am stressing out here…**

**Well, I hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review if you'd like! Till next time! Ja!**


	13. As HE enters the scene

**Yah, so here's the 13****th**** chapter… 13 guys. 13. This means that this entire series has 39 chapters now. And that was made all in 6 months… okay, I'm being dramatic again… sigh, living my senior year, while typing the final installment is really damn frustrating. Why you may ask? BECAUSE IT'S THE LAST! I'm gonna go to college soon, and I'm gonna have to let go of this story too! I don't want that!**

**I'll shut up now, you're gonna have enough of the drama. We'll here we go!**

Chapter 13

"What the hell is 'second generation' supposed to mean?"

"Well, Vlad is the first, who lived in the 14th century. Vedlore is probably the second, seeing as she is in between Vlad and Misaka-chan. And obviously, Misaka Mikoto is the third generation."

"Vedlore? Who the hell is Vedlore?"

"Zeniax Yvette Vedlore. That's the name of Vlad's split personality."

"What?"

Touma asked out of confusion. This was one messed up crisis.

"It's like one of those triggers in anime Kami-yan~. The main character has a flaw and has split personalities. It's a common plot twist ya know."

"I did not just understand a single thing you said. First of all, why the hell would you relate it to anime? Second, could we please just focus seriously you freaking sis-con!?"

"Okay, okay nyaa~ I'll explain it to you kay? Basically, Vedlore and Vlad are like Misaka-chan and Vlad. They're all the same person, in theory. They share the same existence; they can share the same heart, mind and memories. It's like being in a network composed of three supercomputers."

"And so?"

"So, what I'm trying to say is, they can't kill one another, because the death of one of the three, is equal to the loss of power of the other two. This brings us back to what I said earlier."

"You mean the thing about something being triggered when we left?"

"Yeah, it's a spell. I'm not sure of what it's called yet. I don't know what type of magic was used. I mean, that wasn't part of the function that I placed there."

"So what does the spell do?"

"It does something to the target and everyone else. You know, like jumbling up memories, playing with their fate and other sick things wicked magicians like to do. But no real harm is done; it's just a few alterations to the physical world. Though, in this case, whereas Misaka-chan is an angel, the effects may be different than usual."

"Is that supposed to be good or bad?"

"Well, it would depend on your definition of good and bad Kami-yan." Tsuchimikado said as he stretched his arms and leaned back. Touma stared intently at his relaxed figure, trying to process the info in his brain."As I was saying, there is no definite meaning for what good and bad are. In a perfect world, this event would have been connoted as good. But that's just the problem."

"Because this world isn't perfect?" Touma asked. Tsuchimikado smirked at him.

"Very good, Kami-yan. You're right; the world we're living in isn't perfect. Far from it actually. It's a world full of sin, wrongness, and mistake. There's no way, by any means, would it be perfect."

"So the effect is bad then?"

"Like I told you, I'm not one to judge whether that's good or bad. But let me tell you what happens. Gradually, little by little, Misaka-chan loses her angelic essence. The slow process ensures that what remains of her humanity will remain intact with her body. The essence taken out of her will form a human body, which will be Vlad. To make it simpler, Misaka-chan won't be an angel anymore."

He explained, looking at Touma with a smirk. He watched as Touma scrunched up his forehead, trying to process everything, until he saw his eyes widen in realization.

"What's the twist in this plot line?"

"You sure pick up clues fast Kami-yan. Yes, Misaka Mikoto is a normal human being afterwards, but what happens when the spell is no longer in effect?"

"…She's normal again?"

"Wrong~! When the spell wears off, Misaka-chan's body will grow weak. Knowing her will power, she won't die from it. But Vlad isn't as tenacious as her. She's bound to grow weaker and weaker until she eventually runs out of power and die."

"But why? The two entities are split right?"

"Yes, they are. But that doesn't mean that their powers have. Kami-yan, no matter what method you do, they will have to die. Vlad's essence has been living in the body of another person. If her essence was transformed to human form, it wouldn't be able to adapt to the changes of it."

"She managed to live peacefully in the 14th century right? Why can't she do that now?"

"That was 6 centuries ago Kami-yan. For example, a child who knows how to walk suddenly got caught up in an accident and lost all feeling in his legs. After a few years, a miracle happened and he was able to walk again. Do you think he'll be able to walk normally?"

"Of course he would. He might stumble a bit at first. But after a few weeks, I'm sure he can do it."

"Precisely. Imagine Vlad as that little kid. If that kid took a few weeks to recover from a few years of stationary movement, how long would it take Vlad, who didn't have a body for 6 centuries, to recover?"

"Uhh…"

"See? It would probably be years before she can adapt. During this time, she'd be taking the powers of her two predecessors. At this point, Vedlore, being just a carbon copy of Vlad, would surely run out of power first and die. After that, Misaka-chan will be the only one left."

"So…Mikoto will be the one she takes the energy from. And since her body is weak, it might not handle the strain and just give up?"

"Seriously Kami-yan, if only you were this smart in class, you wouldn't have to take up supplementary classes." Tsuchimikado mused, placing his elbow on the arm rest. Touma put his hand to his chin and was lost in thought.

"Hey, Tsuchimikado."

"What is it nyaa~?"

"What's the deal with this Vedlore girl again?"

"Hmm, great question Kami-yan. Zeniax Yvette Vedlore is the product of Gurbent's Angelism experiment, with the permission of Vlad of course."

"Hah?"

He asked again, Tsuchimikado smirked,

"Zeniax Yvette Vedlore is Gurbent's and Vlad's daughter."

* * *

"Kamijou Touma"

Mikoto whispered sweetly. She didn't know why, but her heart suddenly felt warm upon seeing his face and saying his name. She stared at the picture, a slight blush on her face.

"Hey, Misaka-san is blushing…" Saten whispered to Uiharu.

"I know Saten-san. So does this mean that Misaka-san really has a boyfriend?"

"I don't know… what do you think Shira-?"

Saten was about to ask Kuroko, so she turned around to face her. But what she saw wasn't the usual pig-tailed middle schooler they knew. It was her other side. They were currently facing the Demon within her. Her eyes were bright red, her wavy rose pig tails were flying off in different directions in a weird manner.

"UUh, Shirai-san?" Saten asked, trying to figure out what to do.

"That…aaaappeeee…." She mumbled, making Saten more confused.

"THAT APE! THAT BARBARIC APE WHO STOLE **MY** ONEE-SAMA FROM ME!"

She shouted, grasping her hair and turning her head wildly. Mikoto blushed, snapped out of her trance and looked at Kuroko.

"What the hell are you talking about Kuroko?! Do you even know who this guy is?!"

"OF COURSE I DO! Are you trying to deny it now Onee-sama?!"

"No! What are you talking about you weirdo?!"

"That ape is….uhh…he's…." Kuroko mumbled as her anger turned to confusion. She crossed her arms and said,

"Who is he again?"

"SEE?! Don't go jumping into conclusions like that!"

Mikoto shouted back. Everyone was suddenly silent. Uiharu gathered up the courage and spoke first.

"Uhm…I don't think this is just a mere prank. Misaka-san and Shirai-san obviously know this Kamijou-san, but they can't remember him."

"If they know him, then why can't they remember him? Besides, I don't recall Misaka-san introducing her boyfriend to us..." Saten added.

"I'll disregard your comment about introducing boyfriends for now Saten-san. But…for some reason, I feel like we all know this barbaric a-, ehem, this Kamijou Touma person. So it would be fair to conclude that this phenomena or whatever it is, is affecting not only Onee-sama and I, but you and everyone else as well."

Kuroko tried to explain. Mikoto was lost deep in her own thoughts.

'_Kamijou Touma… Kamijou Touma…Kamijou Touma…. UGH! Why can't I remember? Who is he to me?'_

She asked herself in a depressed tone.

'_**Oi! BiriBiri!**_**' **a voice suddenly called out in her mind. Mikoto's eyes widened, as a lost piece of memory came to her mind.

'_**What?!'**_** she answered angrily. There, stood before her was Kamijou Touma, in his usual high school uniform.**

'_**Wow, what's up with the anger? You got dumped or something?**_**'**

'_**I swear to freakin Buddha, if you say that one more time, I AM GOING TO KILL YOU.'**_

'_**Nah, we both know you can't do that BiriBiri.'**_** He answered with a smile before continuing **_**'Despite how you act, I know who you are deep inside. You're never the type to hurt other people, especially those close to your heart.' **_**Mikoto blushed a deep shade of red.**

'_**Wha-what makes you think you're important and th-that...y-you're close to m-my h-heart huh?!'**_

'_**Hah? But I never said I was right? I just said other people and those close to your heart. I didn't categorize myself in that….eh?...wait a minute, so does that mean that I AM close to you heart~?'**_

**He asked slyly, Mikoto blushed even redder, smoke emanating from her head. Touma snickered as he out his hands to his waist.**

'_**Well, well, well. Looks like this unfortunate Kamijou has finally received a blessing from heaven. The great Misaka Mikoto valuing a lowly person like me? Wow, never thought that this'd happen!'**_

'…_**uuh…..you…..UGH! JUST SHUT UP AND DIE YOU B-ST-RD!'**_

**She shouted shooting a bolt of electricity and chasing him.**

"It's him…" Mikoto said quietly. The three thinking girls turned to her with weird looks.

"What was that Onee-sama?" Kuroko asked.

"It's him! He's that idiot! Kamijou Touma is that idiot!" she shouted.

"Hah?" the three girls asked in confusion.

"Does this mean that you remember him Misaka-san?" Saten inquired curiously.

"Well, no. But I remembered part of it! It was in the park, near that vending machine!"

"The one that always sends out alert signals?" Uiharu said, joining in on the conversation. Mikoto sweat dropped. Kuroko stepped forward, blocking Uiharu's view of her precious senior.

"Now, now Uiharu. It's not that important right now. What we need to focus on is how we're going to deal with this predicament. Why don't you go and look for this Kamijou-san's address or school? We should probably ask him if he knows us, or if he's involved in this somehow."

"Roger!" Uiharu said obediently as she sat on her computer and typed away. Mikoto and Kuroko sighed as Saten gave off a small laugh. While waiting, the thee of them sat down and had some tea.

'_Okay, so as far as we know, we know someone by the name of Kamijou Touma…and he's probably my boyfriend…'_ she blushed '_No wait, never mind that. Why do I feel like…we're missing something? It feels like…we…wait, it's probably just me, but I think I just lost something important… what are we missing here?'_

She thought. After seconds of tiresome thinking, Mikoto finally gave up and just slumped on the chair. The door to the office slowly opened, making all of them turn their heads.

"Uhm, excuse me?"

A male voice asked as he peered through the door.

"Yes? What is it?" Kuroko asked as she stood up and walked over to him. The door completely widened, revealing a handsome guy with wavy blonde hair and green eyes, roughly the same age as them, wearing a white polo shirt, the first two buttons undone, under a black vest, paired with dark blue jeans and sneakers. Uiharu's and Saten's eyes turned into hearts as they watched him walk in.

"Uhm, I kind of got lost, people told me to go here, is that okay?" he asked with a look that could make hearts melt.

"Yes, Judgment is here to help people in Academy City. Are you a foreigner?" Kuroko asked, not being even slightly fazed by the presence of a bishounen before her.

"Yeah, so I don't really know my way."

"Very well then, please wait a second, let me get you a map of the city." She said teleporting away. Uiharu slowly approached the guy and handed him a cup of tea.

"W-would you like some tea while you wait?"

"Ah, thank you very much, young lady. It's an honor to be served by such a wondrous beauty." He said with a smile, making Uiharu blush.

"Pl-please take a-a seat f-first…w-while we wait for Shirai-san to come back."

She answered pointing to the couch, where Saten and Mikoto were seated. Without any reply, he walked over to it and sat opposite of Mikoto.

"Hello there." He greeted.

"Uh, yeah. Hi…" Mikoto answered awkwardly. She looked over to Saten, who just gave her the 'it's-love-at-first-sight-look'. Mikoto just waved it off.

"Uhm, may I know your names?" the guy asked again. Mikoto raised an eyebrow. Why is he asking for another person's name when he hasn't even introduced himself?

"Uuuh…" she mumbled **'**_**Don't trust him!"**_ a voice warned in her head. Mikoto was hesitant, but she just followed it.

"Not to be rude, but shouldn't you introduce yourself first?"

"Ah, yes, how rude of me. You can call me Avey. It's very nice to meet you….Misaka Mikoto-san."

* * *

"Ne, Stiyl…"

Index asked as she sat on a chair in front of a dining table. Her companion, Stiyl Magnus, was in another room, seemingly busy.

"What is it Index?"

"Why does **Renaissance **want to activate Angel Tear? I don't really get it…"

"You're the bearer of 103,000 grimoires. How can you not know it?"

"Mou! Don't be so rude! I don't know everything about the world and humans! I just don't understand…why they would be willing to make Touma and short hair suffer for something like that… Magna Valera and Angel Tear both have strong effects on its target, but they also need huge amounts of manna, the caster will have to suffer a lot too."

She said as Stiyl came out, in a pink frilly apron, and brought a huge pot with him. He placed it on the table and Index started gobbling it up. Seems like he was busy in the kitchen preparing a snack for Index. He sat beside her as he blew on his cigarette.

"That's right. Angel Tear and Magna Valera are both very dangerous to both victim and caster. But they need Magna Valera to activate Angel Tear, so they're gonna have to pay a huge price for that."

"I know! That's my question! Why?!"

"I don't really know either little kid. For all I understand, Magna Valera is a powerful spell that can transform anything into strong manna. In this case, it alters time in bodies, so it can make them either younger or older. Manipulation of memories is also possible. The lost memories, and the time lost from the bodies are collected and transformed into manna, which will be used in Angel Tear."

"I know that Stiyl. While that is the purpose of Magna Valera, Angel Tear can be used to alter the past entirely, and destroy everything that the magician or caster considers evil or wrong. So, if they view humans or even the gods as their enemy, they can eradicate their existence entirely. It basically fulfills the desire of its caster. But what does Renaissance want to do with a dangerous power like that?"

Index asked again as she finished the huge pot of food that Stiyl had prepared for her. She heard him sigh and stand up. He placed a hand on her head, as she looked up to him.

"Love can make people do wrong things. When humans are in love, they could care less if they hurt the people around them, just as long as they'd be happy, they would be willing to give up anything and everything."

He answered as he walked away. Index was left all alone in the huge dining room.

'So…would Touma do the same for short hair then?"

She asked no one in particular. Index pulled out a white rectangular looking thing from her nun habit pocket. She raised it to eye level and stared at what seems to be a phone.

"But…short hair wouldn't want that…"

She hesitated, as she slowly pressed buttons on the phone, placed it to her ear, and listened to its ringing. After a few seconds,

"Hello?" came a female voice from the other side of the phone call. Index took a deep breath before speaking.

"Short hair? It's me, Index." She answered as her hands trembled a bit.

"I-Index?"

Mikoto stuttered. Index gripped the cloth of her dress tightly as she looked forward, her eyes brimming with determination.

"I'm sorry, but you need to know something. It's about your life….it's in danger."

"Danger? Who would endanger me?"

Mikoto asked in a confused tone. Index hesitated again. She didn't really want to say this, but she had to.

"I'm sorry…but…we're going to have to kill you….short hair…"

* * *

"Is everything all set, Josephine?"

Friedrich Claude asked, a cell phone in hand, as he stood atop a tall building, overlooking a small town. It was night time, almost 9 in the evening. Darkness draped over the night sky, as the stars twinkled and shined.

"Yes, Master. Everything is fine."

Josephine, Friedrich's blonde-haired blue eyed partner answered as she looked proudly at her work. She looked like a cute 12 year old, but she was actually 16 years old. Her wavy blonde hair was tied in a ponytail, held by a black ribbon, while she was dressed in her usual black and white knee-length maid dress, with a pink rabbit accessory hanging from her left side, courtesy of her master of course.

"I-is that so?"

"What's the matter Master Fried? Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine Josephine… I'm just…conflicted…I guess." He answered with a sigh.

"Is this about Mistress Mikoto being one of your objects of interest?" Josephine asked sternly, glaring at him through the phone.

"Ha? No, of course not. Little Miss Railgun doesn't fit the pedophile's interest category anymore; she's almost 18 for crying out loud. But she'd still pass as a loli, an onee-chan type, mature woman type, sexy girl, hot girl, tsundere maniac, and a possible yandere. There are way too many categories for me to mention them all."

"Your language disgraces me Master. You should really stop visiting those shops of yours!"

"Hey! I'm your master Josephine! Have some respect!"

"You're not getting any younger Master. You're already 20 need I remind you? Going to those places don't suit your age."

"Josephine… Sigh, little miss Railgun is part of my worries but…I'm really concerned about Kamijou-kun. Those two don't deserve this."

Friedrich said in a sentimental tone as he lowered his head. Josephine sighed, before casting a spell that allows her to move from one place to another, much like teleportation. A second later, she was beside Friedrich, who just looked at her with a blank stare.

"You're right Master… Mistress Mikoto and Master Kamijou both deserve to live happily. But if fate dictates so… then we cannot do anything about it."

"I know that… I just wish… though wishful thinking this may be… but, I just wish that neither of them would have to sacrifice anything."

"Knowing Miss Mikoto, she would definitely be the one to give up, Master."

"But Kamijou-kun would absolutely object to that!"

"True, but Mistress Mikoto is much smarter than Master Kamijou. She can think of a way to trick him into doing it."

"But why would she do that? Why would she be willing to throw everything away, just for the sake of him?"

"And you Master? Don't you think that Master Kamijou would do the same?"

"I…I know he would…but I don't understand it…"

"That's because you haven't experienced it, what it feels like to fall in love with someone deeply. Renaissance, and Miss Mikoto and Master Kamijou, they all know how it feels like, to fall in love, to be willing to risk everything for the one that they love. That's just how the world works Master."

"And you?" Friedrich suddenly asked, making Josephine look up to him.

"What?"

"I was asking if you knew. If you knew what it feels like, to fall madly in love…" he asked as he turned to face her. A cold breeze blew past them, creating a stiff atmosphere, but in a way, it was warm…and comforting. Josephine blushed, before speaking.

"I-"

She was interrupted by a constant ringing from her right pocket.

"Please excuse me, Master. I need to take this call, if you will."

She asked, Fried just nodded as she bowed and "teleported" away. When she was definitely away from his hearing range, she pressed the answer button on her phone.

"Hello?"

"How's it going?" Stiyl asked from the other side.

"The mission is fine. We will bring him down and stop him from entering the Kingdom, Master Magnus."

"Tch. Stop calling me that. You're 16 for god's sake, but you still play along with that idiot's farces. Don't you get tired from that? Talk about being a martyr for the one you love."

Stiyl said sighing. Josephine blushed.

"W-well how about you? You're being a martyr for Mistress Index right? That's more hopeless if you ask me."

"I won't bicker with a child, Josephine Miers. I'm just saying, things will definitely go out of proportion if this keeps up. Are you willing to stay by him?"

He asked. Josephine looked up to the starry sky, and remembered that night. The night of the promise, the night of her new life.

"I swore."

"What?" Stiyl asked.

"I swore, that I would never look back. That I will only look to the future, and value the present. My Master saved me, he accepted me despite being who…no, being what I am. I will stay by his side, till the bitter end."

"It's your choice. Good luck on the mission."

Stiyl said hanging up. Josephine dropped her arms to her sides, as she looked up to the sky again.

"I know how Mistress Mikoto feels…I know how she thinks…"

She said as tears began filling her eyes, but she smiled a bitter smile despite it.

"Because we are a lot more alike than she thinks…"

-chapter end-

**YO-HO! I Fifi is back! Yes, Fifi-chan is Josephine. Well now, we are one step away from finding everything out! Oh yeah, to those who still don't know, the manga I mentioned was "To aru Kagaku no Railgun: the flirting Railgun" the names a bit weird but it's totally awesome! **

**You know, I just realized that I forgot to write Josephine's last name in Facing your Fears… wah, how stupid… well doesn't matter now right? At least I said it now! Ahahah! **

**Well, now we all know what Angel Tear and Magna Valera are.**

**What the hell did Tsuchimikado mean when he said that Zeniax is Mil and Cielo's child?**

**What did Josephine mean?**

**What is Josephine's past?**

**Do I have another pairing on my hands?**

**Nyaa~~ you'll find out next chap! Well, thanks for reading! Please review! Till next time! Ja-ne!**


	14. Meeting old friends

**Yay! It's chapter 14! To answer a few things, I'm sorry if the plot is a bit hard to understand. I guess I focused too much on making it mysterious that I really made it mysterious enough to be vague. I'm sorry about that. And to answer another question, I don't really know how long this story will run. Out of all the stories of FYF, this one is the longest. Since it tackles a whole lot more pasts and personal histories. **

**Well, why don't we start this off? Everyone, I present to you…**

Chapter 14

"Hey, Tsuchimikado." Touma asked as his mind was in wonder.

"What is it nyaa~?"

"What's the deal with this Vedlore girl again?"

"Hmm, great question Kami-yan. Zeniax Yvette Vedlore is the product of Gurbent's Angelism experiment, with the permission of Vlad of course."

"Hah?"

He asked again, Tsuchimikado smirked,

"Zeniax Yvette Vedlore is Gurbent's and Vlad's daughter."

Tsuchimikado answered in his usual laid back attitude. Touma's mouth dropped.

"Wait, from what Mikoto told me, Cielo is Anderwick's girlfriend. So why the hell does she have a child with her boyfriend's best friend?"

"Nyaa~ Anderwick doesn't know this Kami-yan~ He's been kept in the dark for as long as the secrets been brewed."

'How did that even happen?"

"Well… Gurbent is a pretty messed up person. He used the evil manna he took out from Vlad to create Vedlore."

"Evil manna?" Touma asked.

"Yeah, didn't Misaka-chan explain it to you? About angels' battle mode?"

"You mean the thing about evil taking over their bodies and powers or something?"

"Yup, that's precisely it. Gurbent helped Vlad to remove all trace of her evil manna from her body. This was so she could stay on Erath without having to fear the day her manna would go berserk and kill everyone. Gurbent helped her because he wanted to make Anderwick happy, as far as I know. But he knew, being a magician, that one day, the evil in her manna would leak out to the world and destroy it. So that's why he decided to create a human container for it."

"By having…you know and getting his best friend's girlfriend pregnant?" Touma hesitated to say as he looked at him weirdly.

"Technically, yes. But he didn't have a direct…interaction with Vlad. He couldn't bear to hurt his best friend who was like a brother to him after all. So instead, he casted a spell that would call down a girl fit to carry the child of a prophetic angel. But it costed him quite a lot."

"Who did he call and what did he lose?"

"First, he called down another angel, the Angel of Venerance, Vernieri. In return, he lost his sanity bit by bit, until he turned completely insane. He practically raped the angel and injected the manna into her womb. In normal cases, this would've been impossible. But hey, he was a magician. From what I know, the child didn't grow up; she remained in her fetus form, until another spell triggered her growth."

"O-kay… so what happened to the other angel then? The child?"

"The child I don't know. There isn't anything about it. But the angel, she was brought back to heaven after giving birth. The heavens punished her for bearing a human child, so she was tortured before she was banned."

"So…she went back to Gurbent?"

"No, of course not. The scale of time in heaven and on earth differs greatly. Half an hour up there is probably a century here on Earth."

"Oh, so what happened to her then?"

"Well that-"

Tsuchimikado was cut off when the airplane suddenly started moving unexpectedly. The people panicked as the sound of air turbulence grew louder and louder.

"What the hell is that?" Touma asked as he held onto his seat tightly, his seat belt fastened.

"They're here for us." Tsuchimikado said, as he undid his seat belt and stood up, walking over to the door of the plane. People were too busy panicking to notice him. Touma did the same and held his shoulder.

"What the hell Tsuchimikado?! You plan on dying or something?!"

He shouted. Tsuchimikado looked at him.

"No. but if we stay here any longer, these innocent people here will die." He said pertaining to the other passengers. Touma hesitated.

'_Ugh, damn it! Why is this happening now?!...No…I can't hesitate. If we really are what those attackers are after, then as long as were on this plane, they won't be safe…_' he thought.

"Well then Kami-yan? Are we going or not?" Tsuchimikado asked. Touma took a deep breath before looking at him with a determined face.

"Let's jump." He said. Tsuchimikado smiled as he tore the door open.

"Roger that, Captain Kami-yan. O king of all great harems!"

"OI! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST- AAAHHHHH!"

He shouted as Tsuchimikado dragged him out of the door and into the open sky. They fell past the clouds, with Touma screaming loudly.

"ARE WE GONNA DIE?!" He asked in a raised voice for Tsuchimikado to hear, due to the air resistance that makes one's voice almost unrecognizable.

"WE'LL BE FINE KAMI-YAN! JUST THINK ABOUT IT THIS WAY. WHEN WE GET DOWN, YOU'LL BE GREETED BY YOUR ENTIRE HAREM! WITH MISAKA-CHAN WAITING IN THE MIDDLE, WEARING AN ERO-MAID ANGEL COSTUME!"

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Touma shouted as he blushed, visualizing Mikoto in said outfit, giving him a nosebleed. He heard Tsuchimikado laugh, making him fume in ager.

"YOU B-ST-RD! IM GIONG TO-"

"WATCH OUT KAMI-YAN!"

"Hah?"

"I SAID, WATCH OUT! WE'RE ABOUT TO LAND!"

"WHAT ARE YOU-"

Before Touma could finish his sentence, he suddenly fell on something fluffy. It was soft, too soft. He suddenly panicked, as an idea came to his head.

'_Don't tell me that I fell on a girl's chest again?!'_

He thought in his mind as he did his best to pull away from the soft and fluffy thing. He looked around and saw nothing but pink and stuff toys.

"What the hell?" He muttered, standing up and bouncing on the fluffy material. He looked around and was astounded; it was like being in a kingdom of toys!

"Oi! Tsuchmikado?!"

He shouted, walking around to look for his companion. He stumbled while walking due to the fluffy land and stuffed animals scattered everywhere.

"Oi! Where are you TSUCHI-"

Touma's voice was cut off by an unknown yellowish beam flying past him. He looked around, but no one was there.

"Who are you?! Show yourself you coward!" He shouted. Another yellowish beam came flying past his head, as if it barely missed on purpose. One after another, the beams came at him, but none of them hit.

'What the hell?! Are you kidding with me?! Trying to play around huh?! If you think I'm that easy a target, then I'll shatter that illusion of yours!"

He shouted as he skillfully maneuvered through the small gaps between the ranges of the beams. When he came close to a huge pile of stuff toys, a black figure moved and ran away. He ran after it, screaming "Get back here!" repeatedly. The figure looked back, and pushed a mountain of toys, causing a fluffy avalanche.

"Oh sh-t!" Touma cursed. He took a huge leap forwards, trying to avoid the suffocating softness, but he was still caught up in it. after a while of swimming through the pile of fluffy rabbits and bears, he resurfaced, just in time to see the figure run off again.

'_Tch! When will this ever end?!'_

He thought as he kept running. After a while, he finally caught up with the figure in black. He grabbed its shoulders, muttering a "Got you!" proudly. But the figure kicked him in the shin and did a back flip, escaping from his grasp. Touma held onto his now…injured pride as he jumped up and down, running around in circles.

"Master Kamijou?" a familiar voice asked behind him. He turned and saw Josephine in her usual maid outfit, only her hair has grown longer and her body…developed.

"Josephine?"

"Ah, so you still remember me then." She said with a smile as she walked closer to him effortlessly. Touma just stood there and watched her.

"Are you alright? I hope you're not hurt or anything Master Kamijou. Oh, and I'm terribly sorry for causing you so much trouble."

"Nah, I'm fine." He said with a smile, _'But my little friend here probably isn't…'_ he thought. "But seriously Josephine, how have you guys been? We haven't talked in ages!" he exaggerated. Josephine giggled for a bit.

"If you were worried, then I am terribly sorry Master. It was an order; I couldn't disobey, even though I wanted to talk to Mistress Mikoto all this while. How is she?"

'Uh…Mikoto? Well…she's…doing fine I guess…"

He answered in a depressed tone. Josephine sighed,

"She's not okay at all now is she?"

"Am I really that bad at lying?"

"No you're not Master Kamijou, but whenever we speak about Mistress Mikoto, your eyes…they always tell the truth, whether your mouth does or not."

"Sigh, well, what can I do? I'm really worried about her, but I can't do anything but this at this point."

"This? What are you planning to do, Master Kamijou?"

"That's- WHOA!"

Touma suddenly shouted as the fluffy material started…well….fluffing. They bounced up and down as the thing below them moved.

'O-Oi! What the hell's happening here?!" Touma shouted.

"Please calm down Master. I'm guessing that Master Fried is currently fighting someone. But please do not worry; he will not kill your friend."

"What the hell?!"

He shouted again as he struggled to keep his feet on the soft ground.

"Do you wish for me to eliminate Master Fried's 'Fluffy Cutie Bouncy Bounce house?'"

Josephine asked as she stood straight, seemingly not bothered by what was happening.

"This is that pedophile's bounce house?" he asked, before shaking his head vigorously. "Never mind about that! Please! Just…take it away somewhere! Tsuchimikado needs my help!"

"As you wish Master." Josephine said bowing. She raised her head and snapped her fingers. In a second, the bounce house was gone, and they stood on a green field. Touma looked further and saw Tsuchimikado standing in his fighting stance as Fried was looking around angrily. Fried looked over to their direction and stomped towards them angrily, making Tsuchimikado and Touma confused.

"JO-SE-PHINEEEEEEE!"

He shouted angrily, as he passed by Touma and stood in front of Josephine.

"Yes Master?" she answered in a straight face.

"HOW COULD YOU?!" He shouted as tears streamed down his face, making the others sweat drop. "HOW COULD YOU JUST DESTROY MY SANCTUARY LIKE THAT?!" he begged, as his knees fell to the ground and he held onto her waist in a pitiful manner.

"Now, now Master. It is inappropriate for you to cry in front of our guests."

Josephine said as she stroked his hair with a sigh. Minutes later, Fried finally calmed down and he looked back to Touma and Tsuchimikado, finally noticing their presence.

"Oh, well…that was awkward…. Anyway, welcome to Worcestershire, Kamijou-kun and Tsuchimikado-san."

He greeted with a smile. I'm amazed at your capacity to say that, after trying to kill me a few minutes ago." Tsuchimikado said.

"Well, what can I do? Orders are orders, people. It's not like I can disobey what he says." Friedrich answered shrugging his shoulders.

"He? You mean Stiyl?" Touma asked as he stepped forward.

"Yeah, Stiyl-san wanted me to obstruct you from entering Worcestershire, England. It would be dangerous if you did, but alas, here you are right now, stepping on the wondrous planes of the witch's city."

"Witch's City?" Touma asked.

"Huh? You didn't know? Worcestershire was the home to the earliest form of magic, which was witchcraft or black magic. It was the hometown of the earliest witches and warlocks, which are now known to be the religious magicians. So in retrospect, they call it the Kingdom. But the Church doesn't acknowledge that though, the only Kingdom is in heaven after all." Friedrich explained.

"Eh? I didn't know that…" Touma muttered.

"Anyway, pedophile-san, may I ask a question?" Tsuchimikado asked with a challenging smirk.

"Oh? Please do sis con-san…" Friedrich answered in the same tone, making Josephine and Touma sigh.

"Master…."

"I'm starting to think that all magicians are mentally deranged…"

"Not all of them are, Master Kamijou. Please don't include me in that." Josephine muttered. The two abnormal magicians had a stare off, before Tsuchimikado broke the tensing silence between them.

"Anyway, would you happen to know something about a spell casted on Academy City?" he asked, the tow members of Necessarius eyes' widened. Tsuchimikado smirked. "You know something, good. Anyway, what kind of spell was it? Academy City is a million miles away, but I can still feel a huge amount of manna flowing out of here, similar to that of a city-wide spell. So tell me, what was the spell? Why did they have to cast it out here, instead on the city itself?"

"Tsuchimikado, did you have everything figured out, even before we came here?" Touma asked.

"Nyaa~ well, what can I say Kami-yan? I'm not a double agent for nothing you know. So," he said turning back to the two. "You gonna answer me or not?"

Josephine looked at her master. Friedrich gave her an encouraging smile.

"It's okay. You can tell them, I'll be here, right beside you Josephine."

"Master…" she mumbled with a blush, before shaking her head and smiling adorably. Watching this made Touma smile.

'_Well, never thought that he'd fine true love so close by. But by watching them…it makes me feel…well…kinda…'_

"Jealous?" Tsuchimikado said with a sly smile. Touma nodded his head and smiled a sad smile.

'Yeah, that's the right word." He said facing him; it took him a few seconds before processing what happened.

"HOW THE HELL DID YOU KNOW WHAT I WAS THINKING?!"

"It's kinda obvious from your face Kami-yan. You're obviously worried about Misaka-chan and you just want to smother her in hugs, kisses and smiles right?"

"The fact that what you say is right annoys me the most."

"What can I say nyaa?~"

"Ehem." Friedrich fake coughed, making the two boys turn their heads. "This will be…a deviation from orders, but you deserve to know the truth, especially you, Kamijou-kun." He said, Touma nodded, a serious expression on his face. Friedrich continued, "I might not be able to explain things clearly to you, so Josephine will do it instead."

"Yes Master. As you may know, there has been a casted spell in Academy City. In response to Master Tsuchimikado's question earlier, it is an ancient magic, known as Magna Valera. It transforms stolen memories and time into strong manna, which may be used for another dangerous spell. But for now, we must focus on Magna Valera, for if we don't. Master Kamijou will not be able to leave Worcestershire."

"What? I won't be able to leave?" Touma asked. Tsuchimikado put a hand to his chin and thought before speaking.

"Let me guess, Magna Valera, being a time and memory altering spell, is a very strong one. So of course, if it is placed on the target directly, it won't be able to function properly and will just end up blowing up the entire place. But if placed half way across the world, it would be able to steal time and memories from half of the world, making the spell stronger, right?"

"Yes that is correct. In addition to that, there is also a barrier like form spread across the world. It sets rules, to which anomalies must follow, and with this being the case…"

"I'm the anomaly?" Touma asked pointing a finger to himself.

"Correct Master Kamijou. Though reasons are unknown, it seems that the caster has a strong desire to keep you out of Academy City. So they purposely pulled strings to catch you in their trap."

"Wait, so that means…"

"Yes, you were set up. All the events prior to Mistress Mikoto's return were all scripted. They forced you to make a decision to leave Academy City and come here, to trap you. I'm guessing the reason is your right hand." Josephine explained, pointing to his right arm. Touma held it up and stared at it.

"Imagine Breaker…they fear the power of your right arm, Master Kamijou."

"Soo…If I use my right arm, then I can go back to Academy City right?!" he said as he ran toward the edge of a cliff nearby, Josephine tried to stop him, but Tsuchimikado stood in her way.

"Let him be. He needs to experience something to believe it, he won't just believe your words, especially now that Misaka-chan's involved." He said, Josephine could only nod and watch as Touma desperately ran to the edge.

While running, Touma panted. But despite his fatigue, he will not stop. He couldn't let himself be stopped.

'_Mikoto…she's back in Academy City…she's there…Shirai-san will keep her safe until I get back… I need to get back… I need to protect her…I need to save her!'_

He thought, as he ran forward, his arm stretched in front of him. Only a matter of seconds left, until he collides with the so-called barrier. Touma smiled, everything was going so well, his Imagine breaker could do it, he believed in it. Just a little more before *BAM*

Something collided with his face. He fell on his butt and caressed his nose, but he still looked up. There was nothing there. Nothing but the bright blue, azure peaceful sky. What went wrong?!

"I told you Master Kamijou, it will never be that easy." Josephine said walking up behind him, with Tsuchimikado and Friedrich following closely behind. "Your Imagine Breaker is not strong enough to dissipate half of the world's manna. Nothing can be that strong."

"Then what do you want me to do Josephine?!"

"Getting mad and stressed will get us nowhere Master Kamijou. So if I were you, I would just calm down and shut the hell up!" that simple curse made everyone shocked. She was such a sweet girl, yet she scolded AND cursed a man older than her. "We are all very worried for Mistress Mikoto's well-being. Even though…I didn't get to know her much, I know that she is a good person; I know that she doesn't deserve to die so young, I know that she is a true friend." She said as her eyes teared up.

"Josephine…" Touma muttered. '_What an embarrassment… Josephine is a lot younger than me, but she stays calm even though we're in this kind of situation. Who am I to complain?'_ he thought with a smile.

"Let me ask you this; are you truly willing to save Mistress Mikoto's life from certain peril?"

"Hell yeah I am." He answered with a straight and determined face. Josephine smiled.

"Very well then. The only way for you to escape this place is if we defeat the caster. There's no other way around it."

"So, where's this caster then?"

"Oh..that…I…I don't know really." She answered with a goofy smile. Touma and the others fell from their feet.

"What was that anti-climactic turn up about?!" Touma shouted.

"Hey! It's not like I can do something about it! Who knows how many magicians are in this city right now?! I can't do it alone!"

"Then what was your master doing all this while?" Touma asked.

"HE was chasing around LITTLE girls! Can you believe it?! He's goofing around while I work! "

"Josephine!" Friedrich pleaded her to stop. The two continued arguing, while Tsuchimikado recorded the whole thing and was gonna send it to Stiyl, entitled "Fools goofing while working!", while Touma just watched with a smile. He looked up to the sky,

'_I wonder how they're all doing right now. Sigh, I just hope they're fine and not getting into any fights…especially Mikoto_…'

* * *

"Soo… tell me more about yourself, Misaka Mikoto-san."

Ave, the handsome foreigner who was lost a little while ago asked as Mikoto escorted him to the place where he was headed to. But, the guy didn't have a destination at all. He just wanted to walk around, so now, Mikoto was forced to stick with him while walking around the city.

"Ugh…I'd rather not….uhm…Ave-san."

Mikoto answered, doing her best to sound, polite. But that would be difficult, considering just how much she wanted to sock this guy's pretty face.

"Now, now. No need to get so formal, Misaka Mikoto-san." He answered with a smile. A fuse broke in Mikoto's head.

'_What is up with this guy?! Can't he tale a hint?! I want him gone! I don't want to talk! Ugh! He's worse than Unabara! Oh! I know! I can find someone to pretend to be my boyfriend! Yeah! That's right! Mikoto you're so smart!'_

She thought proudly as Ave blabbered on and on.

'_Oh wait! I can ask that idiot to help o-…Huh? Who was that person again?'_

Mikoto thought. He kept on talking while Mikoto looked for a guy to play along with. Whenever he would ask her a question, she would just smile forcefully, nod, or say "Uh-huh" or "Yeah, I know right?" But after almost 30 minutes of walking, she couldn't find one. They sat down for a drink, Ave offered to get hers, so she waited patiently on a bench.

'_Sigh, I don't get it… A lot of people know me, so even if I don't know them, they'd probably just end up play along with my act…but…but why do I feel like…no one else but that one person can do it?'_

She asked herself as she heaved a huge sigh, while slumping back and looking at the sky, as the clouds drifted by it. She closed her eyes and tried to think.

'_Okay, so...try imagining the image of that Kamijou Touma in your head. You've seen his picture once Mikoto, you can do it. Okay, so now…try thinking…about…how you feel for him…'_ she said as her muscles relaxed and she breathed calmly.

'_Kamijou Touma…Kamijou Touma…Kamijou Touma …. Kami.. jou … Touma…. Touma?' _Mikoto felt like she finally remembered something. _'Okay…this is good. Just keep calm and think about it… you might get it that way…' _she said as she did her best to heighten her concentration level.

*WEIRD FROG SOUNDS*

That definitely made her snap. She opened her eyes and saw that the people passing by where staring at her, wondering if the sound was coming from her. She blushed and immediately took out her phone…

"A…ara? Th-that's weird? My kouhai must've changed my ring tone again… she's such a cutie… he..hehehehe…"

Mikoto said fakely. The people around her seemed convinced and continued on with their activities. Mikoto exhaled in relief and answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Sort hair? It's me, Index." A familiar voice said. Mikoto's eyes widened, as the blurry image of a blue-haired nun came into her mind.

"I-Index?"

Mikoto muttered. The girl named Index took a pause before speaking again.

"I'm sorry, but you need to know something. It's about your life…it's in danger."

"Danger? Who would endanger me?" Mikoto asked, the girl was both familiar and unfamiliar to her, but for some reason, she felt at peace with her.

'I'm sorry…but…we're going to have to kill you…short hair." The girl said. Okay, now hold up. She takes everything back. No hostility? Puh-lease! The girl just said that she would kill her!

"What the hell? Who are you anyway?!"

"You don't remember me?"

'Remember, remember, and remember! That's all I've been hearing all day! Who are all these weird and crazy people claiming to be my friends huh?! Why do-"

"Touma!" Index shouted, making Mikoto stop her ranting and sit up.

"What did you say?" she asked.

"I said Touma! Do you remember him? You remember him, right short hair?!"

Mikoto was dumbstruck. Touma. That name. What was up with that name?!

"I…I…I…SHUT UP! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

She shouted, dropping the call. Index was still saying something, but she didn't care. Why should she? Is she turned away from this then she'd be able to live normally right? Why waste her perfectly normal life for something so crazy and messed up?

"**Can you take it though? Can you turn your back, knowing that you'll leave someone behind?"**

Another unknown voice in her head asked. Mikoto ruffled her hair and leaned back.

"Tch. Stupid voices…what do they know?"

She complained as she placed an arm over her eyes, and peaked through the gaps to see the sunlight, blessing her skin warmly.

Warm.

That feeling she got whenever she saw HIS picture. Whenever she hears HIS name. Whenever she imagines HIS SMILE.

Mikoto's heart cringed.

"Such Misfortune…"

**-Chapter end-**

**Okay! Whooooooo! Sorry for the late update? I got too busy with school activities. Anyway, I thought about it while typing this chapter, FYF: AGAIN?! Is only half-way done…I think…**

**But this chapter is probably in the middle of all of it~ Well, I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading! Please review! Till next time! Ja!**


	15. The voice in my head

**IYAA! Hey there! I'm back with another chapter of FYF: AGAIN?! Sorry if this is a bit late, we had our exams last week, and I was just too pre occupied with school work. Another reason you may want to blame are fiction books, specifically "The Fault in Our Stars" By John Green. I mean really guys, it's a freaking more than 300 page book but I managed to finish it in less than 3 hours, AND I EVEN CRIED OVER IT! And I hardly ever cry. Anyways, read it if you wanna, but I will not give out spoilers of it. **

**Oh, and by the way, if this chapter is too descriptive and dramatic, blame the book.**

**Well, this is it chapter 15! I hope you guys enjoy!**

Chapter 15

"Well, since we are going after this magician, what are we supposed to do exactly?"

Touma asked as Josephine served him tea. He, Tsuchimikado and Friedrich Claude were all seated in a round wooden table. They were currently situated in Fried's home, discussing their next step.

"Worcestershire may be a small town, but it is relatively big. It would be hard for us to search it by foot." Josephine said.

"So basically, we have to track down a magician that uses strong manna to continuously cast a spell that is currently occurring half across the world, right? That sounds pretty easy." Tsuchimikado commented as he sipped his tea.

"Easy? Easy how?"

"Have you forgotten that I am a legendary magician Kami-yan? It's pretty simple for me to cast a spell that could trace down that manna and pinpoint his exact location."

"But, Tsuchimikado-san, wouldn't that be detrimal to your health?" Josephine asked, joining in on the conversation.

"Well, yeah a bit. I did leave a minor spell in Academy City. Keeping it active is difficult enough, it's a miracle how I can still stand and be here talking to you."

"Then how can you?"

"This is just a hunch. But, regarding Angel Tear, it's a spell that basically eradicates whatever the caster considers its enemy right? So I'm guessing that it actually helps magicians regain manna, and make espers lose their powers." He asked, his question directed to Josephine.

"Yes, that would be the case. What are you trying to say Tsuchimikado-san?"

"He's probably just-" Friedrich tried to answer but Tsuchimikado beat him to it.

"Angel Tear is a very powerful spell. So tracing out the roots of why they're doing this, I can come up with two assumptions. First, they probably want to take revenge on Academy City, since it is the capital of Science. They want to erase the existence of something that denied the existence of the one person that Anderwick loved. Second, they probably just enjoy genocidal massacres."

"So…Mikoto doesn't have anything to do with this?" Touma asked hopefully.

"I don't know, but probably not. Misaka-chan, just like Kazakiri Hyouka was a secret project of Academy City. It wasn't even a formal one. But if Kazakiri was acknowledged by the entire magic side, then it's a possibility for Misaka-chan as well. I mean, she has been recognized by Necessarius right?"

"Yeah, and-" Friedrich tried joining in again, but was cut by Touma.

"So Mikoto may still be in danger?"

"Maybe yes, maybe no. We can't really tell for sure. And by the way, speaking of Misaka-chan, I detect a weird presence lurking behind her."

"What?!" Touma shouted, slamming his hands onto the table.

"Relax Kami-yan, there's no ill intent. Though I do find it weird. Anyway, about searching for this guy, we can't be sure if we're going to hunt for Anderwick himself, he may have an accomplice with him. But regardless, I think we can use more…conventional ways to track him down."

"Fine by me, but are you really sure that Mikoto's fine?"

"Of course I am. Why don't you try talking to her? Call her on her cell." He suggested. Touma pondered on it for a bit.

"Yeah, I guess that's an option." He said taking out his phone and looking for Mikoto's number.

"So what should we do in the meantime then?" Josephine asked.

"Critically thinking, this will be a breach of obligation. So I decided to inform Stiyl-san first."

Friedrich answered while sipping his tea, for the first time, he successfully managed to join the conversation. Josephine dropped the porcelain teapot she was holding while Touma and Tsuchimikado stared at him.

"What is it dear friends? You lot seem to have seen the greatest stupidity in the world!" He said with a confused face.

"I think I just did…." Touma silently commented, with Tsuchimikado nodding beside him. Josephine stomped off towards her Master and grabbed his collar.

"MASTER! What were you thinking?!"

"What do you mean Josephine? I simply notified them in advance." He answered innocently. While Josephine was too busy beating him up, Touma pressed the call button and placed the phone next to his ear.

'_Please be safe…Please answer it…Mikoto...'_

He silently pleaded, as worry could be clearly seen through his face.

* * *

"_**Can you take it though? Can you turn your back, knowing that you'll leave someone behind?"**_

Another unknown voice in her head asked. Mikoto ruffled her hair and leaned back.

"Tch. Stupid voices…what do they know?"

She complained as she placed an arm over her eyes, and peaked through the gaps to see the sunlight, blessing her skin warmly.

Warm.

That feeling she got whenever she saw HIS picture. Whenever she hears HIS name. Whenever she imagines HIS SMILE.

Mikoto's heart cringed.

"Such Misfortune…"

She mumbled, taking deep breaths every now and then. She raised her other arm which held her phone and looked at it.

"That girl…who was she?" Mikoto said aloud, fiddling with her Gekota strap.

'_Ugh! Fine! Let's just do it! It's only a document picture right? We should be able to do as much!'_ a familiar masculine voice said in her mind. The image of her being shoved into the arms of a young man brought heat to her face and warmth to her being.

Her heart cringed yet again.

Crack after crack. Her heart broke.

Her hopes of remembering that person who made her feel so warm, who made her feel so blessed, felt like a distant illusion. She didn't mind if it was just a mere illusion. She would take up that chance, if only she could. To meet the man behind that warmth. The soul behind that smile. The person behind her worries. Just who was he? Why did she care? Why couldn't she get this unwanted feeling in her chest? It was like a million knives stabbing her right through the heart.

Her phone rang again. She looked at the caller ID and was surprised with what she saw.

It read Kamijou Touma (idiot).

"What the?"

She shook her head and looked at her phone again. It definitely displayed the words Kamijou Touma.

"Why the hell do I have his freaking number? Don't tell me…he actually IS my boyfriend?! Oh my-! What am I supposed to do?! Answer it or something?! Ugh! Why am I even hesitating? Just answer the damn call already!"

She shouted at herself, making passers-by look at her. She took a deep breath before pressing the answer button and placing the phone to her ears.

"Ah! BiriBiri? Is that you?"

A voice greeted from the other side of the phone call. Mikoto immediately went red. She tried to speak but her words got stuck in her throat.

"Uh…hello? BiriBiri? Are you there? Come on, answer me, please." The person said in a worried tone. Mikoto's eyes softened.

'_He…he sounds so comforting…like I've known him all my life. His voice…I missed it so much, but I don't think I've ever heard it before…. I don't understand what's happening…why does my heart feel so heavy right now?'_

She thought to herself.

"Hey, Mikoto? Are you mad at me or something?" The man named as Kamijou Touma asked again, now even more worried.

"I…uh..well uhm…I…" Mikoto tried to speak, but they came out as fumbled noises.

"Ne…Miko-"

"Misaka Mikoto-san?" another voice asked as a cold drink was placed against her cheek.

"GYAAH!" She screamed upon contact with the drink. She jumped sideward, dropping her phone in the process. Ave, the man she met at the Judgment office, walked closer to her_, accidentally_ stepping on her phone, smashing it into pieces.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Mikoto shouted out of pure frustration. Ave fumbled backwards and _accidentally _poured his soda onto the poor remains of Mikoto's once adorable frog phone.

"I'm so sorry?" he asked with a worried face. Mikoto knelt down beside her fallen phone and caressed its remains on the floor. She was made. No, mad doesn't even to begin to cover it. She was FUMING in anger.

"What the hell was that for?!" she screamed at him.

"Look, if it's about the phone, that we can do-" Ave tried to explain but was cut off by Mikoto.

"You think I'd give a damn?! The phone itself isn't much! What mattered to me were the memories! That had pictures, numbers and everything! And the strap! Don't even get me started on the strap!" she shouted, with her eyes closed. _'No…what am I saying? I don't even know what that meant to me!' _she thought.

"Look, I can just buy you-"

"I SAID I DON'T GIVE A DAMN! Money can't buy me new memories now can it?!" she glared at him, noticing how his shoulders shuddered at her scream.

'_What am I doing? I'm shouting at this poor guy because of a phone? Just because of a damn phone call?!_' she cursed herself. The guy hadn't spoken in a while. Mikoto took a deep breath to calm down.

"I really am very sorry…Misaka Mikoto-san…" Ave whispered, making Mikoto feel guilty inside.

"Uhh…no, I'm sorry too. For overreacting on you….and well, screaming at you… That was totally unnecessary."

"But I broke your phone with your precious memories!" he said with pleading emerald green eyes, making Mikoto blush a bit, before she tried to smile it off.

"Well, that might have been true, but you know something? I don't know why. Things are kind of messed up in this city right now. And with me being in the epicenter of all of it, I guess I took all my frustration out on you, I'm really sorry Ave-san." She said with a sincere smile.

"Uhm, well then, apology accepted Misaka Mikoto-san! I'm sorry too. So, why don't I make it up to you?"

"Make it up?" Mikoto asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Yes!" Ave exclaimed happily. "If I remember, you youngsters call it 'dates'!" Mikoto stifled a laugh.

"What's funny Misaka Mikoto-san? Did I say something weird?"

"No…Not really. But, you just said youngsters. And on another note, did you just ask me out on a date?"

"Uh, well yes, I guess I did. So, will you accept my grand request, fair lady? Will you accept the hands of this humble peasant in your galore?" he asked bowing, Mikoto giggled.

"Are you sure about this? Asking me is like asking for trouble you know."

"I do not mind fair lady, for your presence is all I seek."

He said taking her hand and lightly kissing the top of it. Mikoto blushed, debated in her mind whether to kill him or just let it pass. But before she could decide, Ave stood up.

"Alas, night is drawing near, dear Juliet." He said in the way Romeo would've said it. Mikoto scoffed, it was just 5 pm! "But do not fear! Meet me at thy same place at half past midday and together we shall endeavor in the land of cellular phones!" he said running towards somewhere.

"Yeah sure, try not to get lost and die Romeo!" Mikoto shouted after him. He waved back before completely disappearing. Mikoto sighed and stared at the spot where she last saw him and smiled.

"What a naïve and clueless guy he is…" she mused. She was about to turn around and walk away, until

'_**You shouldn't trust him you know… don't trust him, Mikoto…' **_the feminine voice spoke. Mikoto's awareness heightened. There was no one around, figures, it was close to curfew.

"Who are you?! Where are you?! Why are you talking to my brain?! You're a telepath right?!"

'_**Don't bother shouting Mikoto. You won't be able to find me, not unless you find yourself.'**_

"What the hell? What are you?!" Mikoto shouted again, she already had a crap filled day; she didn't want to ruin it further!

"_**I am the same as you. Mikoto, please you have to listen to me. You are in danger. They're after me…no, I mean they're after you. They're after both of us."**_

"You're not making any sense! Why should I listen to a voice in my head?!" Mikoto had a thought on what she would answer, but she denied it. She didn't want to hear it.

"_**Because if you don't, that boy, that Touma person who is very important to you, you will end up hurting him."**_

Mikoto's eyes widened. She knew it. She knew it all along. But how? How will she be able to know? How can she overcome this? Just who could she trust?

"I don't understand anymore. Who are you? Who is Touma? What's going on? Can you answer those questions?! Can you answer all these damned questions in my head?!"

"_**I'm afraid only you can answer them. The fate of the world rests upon you, Mikoto. Remember, you are stronger than you think. You can overcome anything. You just have to believe. Believe in yourself, believe in Touma, and believe in love."**_

"I can't believe I'm being lectured by a voice in my head…"

"_**I admire you sarcasm but- Oh no! Mikoto! Get out of there! Hurry up!"**_ the voice panicked. Mikoto was confused, but she decided to follow it anyway.

"What's going on?! Why am I running?!"

"_**They're here! If you don't hurry, they'll use you po-"**_ the voice was cut off. Mikoto panted as she ran.

"Hello? Miss Voice In My Head? Hello? Are you there?" she asked. "God I feel so weird right now! How often do you see a 14 year old running while talking to her subconscious mind?!"

Mikoto kept running and running, until she noticed something weird. It was quiet. Way too quiet. She stopped running and looked around cautiously. Her magnetic fields picked up something. She spun around and glared at a tree.

"Get out of there. This isn't some cliché scene where the villain comes out from a tree and attacks a damsel." She demanded. Light rustling was heard, followed by a feminine laugh.

"Very observant as usual. I'm quite impressed, Misaka Mikoto-chan."

The figure moved away from the tree and confronted Mikoto. The sun was setting, with the darkness lazily taking over the sky and the horizon.

"Tch. Your compliment makes me sick."

"Oh, is that so? Then maybe I should compliment you more? Oh, but then I'd end up getting sick… So I think I'll pass." The figure giggled. She was dressed in an all black cape, so Mikoto couldn't see her face, with the hood covering it.

Awkward silence passed.

Mikoto glared at the girl, and the girl beamed at her. It was starting to get a bit too tense, even for Mikoto's liking. The girl didn't seem bothered by the silence. Mikoto had to start up a conversation or she'd be too tense to move.

"Aren't you going to fight me or something?"

"No. I already did. Hey, I just remembered, you told me before that my brain has short term memory and that it was pretty pathetic. Who fits the bill now huh?"

"Wait, I fought you before? And I talked to you? Don't tell me you're an old friend returning for revenge."

"You see? That's the problem with you. That's why I HATE you so much."

"What did I ever do to you?! I don't even know you!" Mikoto shouted. That seemed to tick her off, seeing as the girl lunged forward, waving her arms in the air. Mikoto jumped and dodged her. A cold, ill wind blew past her. '_Wind?_' she thought.

"You say you don't know me…" the girl started. Mikoto's electricity crackled all around her, ready for a fight. "..yet you've already taken EVERYTHING AWAY FROM ME!" The girls screamed as she raised both arms, signaling a storm that began to brew. Mikoto stood her ground, not even fazed by the loud rumbling of thunder.

"What?! You think you're so strong?! You think you're the best?! You're so demented! I hate you! You always think that you're the star! You're ALWAYS the one with attention! Well now, let me change that. Let me be in the spotlight." She said with a bitter laugh. Mikoto felt bad for her. Really. She was her enemy, but she felt bad for her.

"You…are you really my enemy?"

Mikoto asked, making the girl pause and the storm stop. The winds died down as Mikoto stared at the girl with gentle eyes.

"I might be wrong…but you…you're not really bad. You're not a villain. So tell me, who are you?"

"Pitying the enemy are we? Sorry, but that only works in fairy tales. But fine, I'll entertain you. You'll be the hero and I'll be the villain. Enjoy your last epic, Misaka Mikoto."

She said as she stepped forward. Mikoto still didn't move.

"You're not running away?" The girl asked.

"No."

"Why?"

"I don't know why either. But as far as I'm concerned, you're not my enemy. I won't fight you."

"Such narcissism. Fine, so be it." She said as she stood in front of Mikoto, only a few inches apart. Mikoto was a lot shorter than her. Mikoto's head, only up to her shoulders. But despite the difference in height, in assets, probably in strength, where she was in a lead, the girl still felt inferior to Mikoto.

"Sigh, damn inferiority complex."

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent, you know."

"Let's see if you can still make smart ass comments, Misaka Mikoto." She said with an evil smile. That being the only thing Mikoto saw.

"_**You…You are nothing but a useless shell.**_

_**That is as far as I can tell.**_

_**But you need not fear,**_

_**For I shall always be here."**_

The girl recited. Mikoto's knees fell weak, but she struggled to stand. Upon seeing this, the girl caught her shoulder and helped her stand.

"S..see…y..you're…not…my..e..nemy…'

She mumbled before slowly falling asleep. She caught a glimpse of the girl taking off her hood, letting dark brown locks to flow naturally down.

"Tch… stupid human side…."

The girl lightly cursed, watching Mikoto's sleeping figure and slowly laying her down on a bench. She was about to walk away, but she was always drawn back by an unknown force. She grunted, before walking back to the bench, slowly lifting Mikoto's head, and sitting down on the bench, the placing Mikoto's head on her lap.

"You asked me earlier, who I was…"

The girl said, fumbling with Mikoto's short hazel hair and stroking her head. A silent tear fell from her face, as the recurrence of that memory came to mind.

"That hurt…it hurts so much…"

She whispered, holding Mikoto's upper body. She cried tears of sadness and regret, not caring if she got Mikoto's clothes wet.

"It hurts so much…I've always yearned to be with you… to see you…. To be held by you… to feel your warmth…"

She said in between her sobs.

"I missed you so much…" she paused. "Mother…"

* * *

After a few rings, Touma heard the static mesh sound off, meaning she picked up.

"Ah! BiriBiri? Is that you?"

He said cheerfully. He didn't need to pretend, he was truly happy to hear her voice again, but it never came. Touma was beginning to get worried.

"Uh…hello? BiriBiri? Are you there? Come on, answer me, please."

He asked again, but still no response.

"Hey, Mikoto? Are you mad at me or something?" he asked, even more worried than before.

"I…uh..well uhm…I…" Mikoto tried to speak, but they came out as fumbled noises. She finally talked, he thought.

"Ne…Miko-" He was about to say 'Ne, Mikoto? Are you alright? Don't let anyone near you okay?' But he was rudely cut off by her petrifying shriek. He heard something break, and the line was cut. Touma stared at his phone.

"Nyaa~ So, how'd it go with Misaka-chan Kami-yan?~"

Tsuchimikado asked as he glided next to him and nudged his shoulder. Touma was silent. Approximately 5 seconds have passed before Touma began vigorously typing in his phone, dialing Mikoto's number and placing it to his ear. No answer. He repeated it again. But still no answer. This went on and on for about 5 times, until Tsuchimikado stopped him.

"Dude, what's up with the scary look on your face?"

"IwastalkingtoMikotoandshewasntanswering! Igotprettyworried, untilIheardhershriekthensometingdropped! ThenextthingIknewsomethingcrackedandthelinewascuto ff! NOW GIVE ME BACK MY GODDAM PHONE!"

He shouted, Tsuchimikado only understanding the last part. He just shrugged it off, and gave Touma his 'goddam phone'. Seriously, if he was gonna curse at least complete his sentence.

"Sigh, he really becomes a different person, whenever Mistress Mikoto comes into the situation huh?" Josephine said, as she sat down beside Tsuchimikado on one of the couches.

"Yeah, well, Kami-yan is Kami-yan. Not much I can do about it. Anyway, what happened to your freakish master huh?"

"Master Fried? Oh, let's just say…I taught him a lesson."

"Ouch…wouldn't want to be in his shoes right now. So, how're you doing, Ve-"

"Please do not call me by that name." Josephine said glaring at him. Tsuchimikado smirked.

"You really hate your real name huh?"

"My real name is Josephine Emery Miers. Master Fried gave me that name, and it will be my one and only name."

"Ah yes. Emery, meaning 'twinkle in my eyes'. Such a sweet name that pedophile has given you huh? You should probably accept your fate you know. Misaka-chan is nearing it."

"Mistress Mikoto and I are the same and yet we are different. We are both a-"

"TSUCHIMIKADO! Mikoto won't answer her damned phone!" Touma shouted from the other side of the living room.

"Then try calling the damned phone of her friend Einstein." He retorted, and then Touma went back to searching numbers. Tsuchimikado snickered at seeing Touma like that.

"Tell me,"

Josephine asked, making Tsuchimikado turn to her.

"You know right? What will become of this situation? What will become of Mistress Mikoto, and her relationship with Master Kamijou? You know the answer to all of these."

Josephine asked, giving him a suspecting look. Tsuchimikado stretched and looked at the ceiling, staring at the portrait of an angel flying back to heaven painted on it.

"That painting…it's too ironic to be in this house." He commented.

"Answer me, Tsuchimikado-san. I will not tolerate lies."

"Sigh, you caught me. Yes, I do know what will happen to Misaka-chan and Kami-yan, the most tragic star crossed lovers there is. I know how things will play out in the end, and it won't be pretty I tell you."

"And despite knowing this, you still encourage him?"

"What about you? Josephine Emery Miers." He said stressing her name. "Why are you still here? If you know the gravity of the situation, then shouldn't you do the logical thing to do?"

"Yes, but sometimes logic can be interfered by other…factors. Such as emotions…and my heart."

"Then you have my answer. I'm doing this to help my dear friend. My friend who has experienced nothing but misfortune his entire life, Misaka-chan being the only comfort in it. Can you blame me?"

Josephine was silenced. He was right. He was a hundred percent right. And she hated it.

"Humans…you're quite the selfish ones aren't you?"

She asked.

"Well, blame the gods for creating us like this. It became part of our human nature."

"Yes, but…we, beings like us, though as demented you may be… we still want to live with you, be with you. Yet the gods couldn't even grant us that one wish." Josephine said standing up. Tsuchimikado watched her every move.

"What do you feel?" He asked. The ground started shaking, with the chandelier threatening to fall from the ceiling.

"Sigh, hell is breaking lose yet again. But this time, I'll make sure it's the last."

She said turning around to face a man in a black cape with golden embroideries. The man smirked.

"Well, hello there. I'm a part of Renaissance. Nice night isn't it?"

H asked, making Tsuchimikado and Touma turn to him and drop their jaws.

"A terribly nice night for a wondrous bloodbath wouldn't you say?"

**-chapter end-**

**AGH! It's finally done! Praise dear lord! Ah well, see? Told you we were in half way. Now, some questions to make you feel a bit more anticipated (or to die of it, some people tell me so)**

**Who's the guy? Okay, maybe that's a bit of a rhetorical question, but nyeh~ Is Mikoto slowly falling for the other b-st-rd? Will her feelings for Touma overcome this hurdle? How will Touma escape Worcestershire? Who will Touma decide to call? (Trust me, I found this one kinda funny). What is Renaissance's true objective? WHO THE HELL CALLED MIKOTO A MOTHER?! Is it her secret child with Touma in the future or something? Ahahaha, well…that's just me being stupid.**

**Well, as I said, I am currently developing an addiction to books. Especially ones that are enough to make you cry even if you try not to. (I lent the book to someone and she ended up crying while in class) That was hilarious! So….I don't really know why that's important, just had the urge to write it I guess…**

**Thanks for all the reviews guys! I hope you enjoyed! Till next time! Ja!**


	16. Twinkle Tiwnkle Little Stars

**Yo-ho! I'm back! Nya-ha! I just finished watching TAKNR S ep 16 a little while ago and now I am super hyped. So I apologize in advance for any ranting that might occur. I'm also sorry for not updating as much. It's our sports fest and boy is it painful. (Though I never really participate in any event). Another reason is probably depression, I mean; almost every good anime is nearly coming to their ends! Nurarihyon no Mago finished months ago, Katekyo Hitman Reborn finished a year ago, Fairy Tail is about to be over and done for, Bleach is also about to be done, TAMNI…yeah, I highly doubt its gonna end anytime soon. And as for TAKNR, I read on a stupid forum (don't know which one because I just kept on clicking and clicking randomly till I got to a certain page) saying that after TAKNR S ep 24, the entire TAKNR franchise will be done in. as in they won't create OVA's, movies etc., about it! I mean, JUST WHAT THE HELL MAN?!**

**I know and accept the fact that TAKNR is just a side story of TAMNI, but that doesn't mean that TAKNR is less important than TAMNI! Seriously dudes! I just hope that it will only end up as a bluff. Some news in forums are just fakes right? I once read that a movie of TANKR would be filmed and created about a year ago, but…where the hell is it? After more research I found out that it was just fake news!...Now I'm getting depressed…**

**Haah, well, here's chapter 16 guys! I hope you enjoy it!**

Chapter 16

"You asked me earlier, who I was…"

The girl said, fumbling with Mikoto's short hazel hair and stroking her head. A silent tear fell from her face, as the recurrence of that memory came to mind.

"That hurt…it hurts so much…"

She whispered, holding Mikoto's upper body. She cried tears of sadness and regret, not caring if she got Mikoto's clothes wet.

"It hurts so much…I've always yearned to be with you… to see you…. To be held by you… to feel your warmth…"

She said in between her sobs.

"I missed you so much…" she paused. "Mother…"

The girl said caressing her face. Mikoto stirred but she didn't wake up. The girl took a deep breath before looking back at Mikoto.

"That face…you resemble her so much… But I know very well that you are not my mother Misaka Mikoto…not yet anyway…" she said with a bitter smile.

"_**P..Please st-stop…" **_A mysterious voice pleaded. The girl was shocked at first, but she smiled, knowing who it was.

"This is certainly a surprise. How did you manage to get out of her consciousness, Cielo Elizel Y'l Vlad?"

"_**Look, you have to stop… Mikoto is… Mikoto is suffering because of us!"**_

"And do you think that matters to me Mother? Do you think I'd care about what happens to your vessel?"

"_**M-Mother? Did you just call me Mother?"**_

"Yes. Is it so wrong to call my own mother 'Mother'? Or would you rather disown me, like what Father did?"

"…_**He disowned you? Tell me child, why? What were his reasons?"**_

"Oh, I don't really know Mother. I couldn't care as well. But I do have a question for you, Mother dearest. Would you answer it?"

"_**What are you-"**_

"Do you know my name?" the girl asked nearly in tears. She had a straight face, but her eyes displayed her true emotions. She gripped Mikoto's arm unintentionally, making her twinge in pain, but she was still in her deep sleep. A moment of silence. The girl let out a laugh.

"Hah…this is hilarious… My father told me before…that upon meeting you, if you knew my name right from the very start, that would be enough to prove your love for me, Mother. But even when I asked, you didn't know. My last shard of hope has been further shattered, by my own mother nonetheless."

"_**What has your father been up to? Please tell me…"**_

"Why? So you could save yourself? So you could live, in this stupid container of yours known as Misaka Mikoto, with that man of yours, just like what you did all those centuries ago?! Have you ever given a damn about us? ABOUT YOUR OWN DAMN FAMILY?!"

"_**Don't curse. You are an angel-"**_

"I don't give a sh-t frankly. I don't care. You shouldn't either. After neglecting me for so many centuries, now you come up and lecture me about my language? Such naivety."

She said standing up, slamming Mikoto's body on the bench. The girl winced at the sight of seeing her mother's incarnate thrash around like that, but she had to bear it. She had to keep her emotions locked in.

'This is the first and last time I'll ever talk to you, Mother. The next time we see, it will be the last. It will be the end of the world."

She said walking away and fading into the darkness.

* * *

"What the hell?"

Mikoto muttered as she watched the entire scene before her. She watched as the girl with the long brown hair walked away, leaving her unconscious body on the bench. She was seemingly floating around, like she was a ghost of sorts. Mikoto gripped her hands tightly.

"What is your problem?! That voice was your Mom right?! If you wanted to talk to her so much, then why the hell did you just diss her?! I may not know much, but your mother loves you! Even if she doesn't know your name! She's still your Mom damn it!"

She shouted angrily. She was furious. That girl's mother was right there before her—technically she wasn't THERE, but at least her presence was—but she totally threw her off! He would give everything, just to spend time with her own mother, Misuzu, though she gets weird at times. He would do anything to feel her own mother's warmth, to see her mother's smile, but yet…yet! That girl! Ugh!

*sob*

"Eh?" Mikoto turned around and noticed that she wasn't in the park anymore. She was in a small, Old English-looking room. There in the farthest corner of it, was a woman, crying by the bedside. Her beautiful long blonde hair was scattered on the floor as she sobbed into the bed. Mikoto walked closer to the crying figure, accidentally kicking a book lying on the floor. The woman raised her head. Hazel met Blue. The two stared at one another, noticing how familiar they looked. Despite the puffiness and redness in the woman's eyes, she still smiled. A smile which Mikoto thought was beautiful.

"Please, come here."

The woman asked in her sweet voice. Mikoto did as she said, without any hesitation. She kneeled in front of the crying woman and looked at her sadly as she wiped her tears.

"Please don't worry, I'm fine Mikoto." The woman said after a few sniffs.

"How did you know my name? Were you the one who kept warning me about them? Are you that girl's mother?"

Mikoto bombarded her with questions. At first, the woman was shocked, but she smiled warmly at her.

"Still full of energy I see." She giggled. Mikoto blushed and stuttered an apology.

"No, it's fine. I did need a good laugh, after that drama with…my daughter."

"So she was your daughter?"

"She IS my daughter. You used was, as in past tense."

"Ah, I'm sorry about that. We can avoid the topic if you want."

"No, it's very much alright. But, I'm going to have to introduce myself again now won't I?" The woman asked sitting properly in front of her. "_Again_?" This rang in Mikoto's mind, but she set it aside.

"My name is Cielo Elizel Y'l Vlad. From what I know, it means 'beautiful angel'. Quite presumptuous isn't it?"

"Well, maybe your parents just knew you'd be as pretty as an angel, uhmm…"

"It's alright. You can call me Cielo." She said with a smile.

"Very well then Cielo-san. I'm sure that was your parent's train of thought when they named you that!"

"Ha-ha, well, that would be true…if only I had parents…"

"Eh? Are you an orphan Cielo-san?"

"No, nothing of that sort… It's just…if you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly human, Mikoto. I'm an angel."

She said with a smile. Mikoto had her dumb struck face on. Crows flew past her head as she was lost in thought.

"Angel? As in the messenger of gods angels? As in the mythical angels?"

"Well, there are a lot of angels, I'm not a messenger. I'm the Angel of Death, one of the Seven Pillars of the Gate of Heaven. Oh, and we're not myths. As you can see, we're pretty much real."

"Wait, wait. Hold it. You're not really making much sense. What are the seven pillars of whatever?"

"Oh, The Seven Pillars of the Gate of Heaven, are basically seven angels who can be summoned my humans to grant desires, with the permission of the Father of course. As I said, there are seven of us; Vernieri is the Angel of Venerance, Illia the Angel of Life, Freya the Angel of Wisdom and Faith, Demetrius the Angel of Despair, Erius the Angel of the Earth, Zeniax the Angel of the Sky and Wind, and Deliria the Angel of Death."

"But you said-"

"Yes, Deliria is my real name. Cielo was a name given to me by a mortal. We angels…have certain issues with our names…so we try not to say them out loud. So just please call me Cielo."

"Ok then, but…what do you do actually?"

"As you may have noticed, we have counterparts: Life and Death, Faith and Despair, Earth and Sky. But Venerance doesn't have a counterpart. Do you know why this is so?"

"Well… If I had to guess then you have opposing sides to balance the world, mostly like yin and yang in Chinese beliefs. I'm guessing the Angel of Venerance is the head of the Seven Pillars."

"Correct. We, the Seven Pillars of the Gate of Heaven have a very important task at hand. We are responsible for keeping Heaven in place you see."

"What?"

"I know that this is difficult to believe right now, but you are currently living in a corrupted world Mikoto."

"Corrupted how? I know that there are a lot of jerks out there, but I won't say it's enough to call the world corrupted."

"Tell me, do you remember what The SISTERS are?"

"Sisters? You mean female siblings right?"

"Hmm, close enough. Did you know that you have a little less than 10,000 identical sisters? And they all share the same DNA as you."

"10,000 SISTERS?! YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING! MY MOM AND DAD DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH FREE TIME!" Mikoto shouted with a blush.

"Well, genetically speaking they are your sisters…but…uhm, I'm not exactly good with this science what not. I don't know how to explain it very well. But allow me to say this; you originally had 20,000 of them. But they were reduced to half."

"Huh? Why?"

"They were killed Mikoto. For the sake of an experiment."

Cielo answered sadly, making Mikoto clench her stomach. Cielo put a hand on her shoulder.

"I know how you must feel for your clones— I meant your sisters, but you need not worry, because that's all in the past. The past of 4 years ago."

"But I don't even remember! How can that happen four years ago! I was just…like 10 or something!"

"Mikoto, you were fourteen back then."

"Fourte-?! What?! I'm 14 right now!"

"That's what I'm telling you. The world you have now is corrupted. It's an anomaly."

"What are you saying?"

"Mikoto, you went back 4 years in time. Just enough for you to not remember."

"Remember what exactly?"

"Not what, who. For you to forget him, Kamijou Touma." She said with a smile. "I know you can't understand me right now, so allow me to make it simpler. I'll take you to our Essence Scape. I need you to see your own memories and save this world from eternal darkness."

"But-"

"Shh…" she whispered as she scooted closer and hugged Mikoto. "It will be alright. I'll be right here, with you, watching over you Mikoto. So trust in your heart and open it. Please…" she pleaded. She felt Mikoto's weight slowly fall on her shoulders, meaning she had fallen into the spell. She brought Mikoto to the bed and stroked her head.

"Is…this what you wanted child? Did you want me to stroke your head as you slept? To sing you lullabies before bed, to smile when you cry? How foolish of you. I've never forgotten your name dear child."

She said as she slowly laid her head on the side of the bed.

"I've never stopped loving you…" she closed her eyes "Dearest…Zeniax…"

* * *

"Humans…you're quite the selfish ones aren't you?"

Josephine asked.

"Well, blame the gods for creating us like this. It became part of our human nature."

"Yes, but…we, beings like us, though as demented you may be… we still want to live with you, be with you. Yet the gods couldn't even grant us that one wish." Josephine said standing up. Tsuchimikado watched her every move.

"What do you feel?" He asked. The ground started shaking, with the chandelier threatening to fall from the ceiling.

"Sigh, hell is breaking lose yet again. But this time, I'll make sure it's the last."

She said turning around to face a man in a black cape with golden embroideries. The man smirked.

"Well, hello there. I'm a part of Renaissance. Nice night isn't it?"

H asked, making Tsuchimikado and Touma turn to him and drop their jaws.

"A terribly nice night for a wondrous bloodbath wouldn't you say?" the man said fancying a bow. Touma ran and stood protectively in front of Josephine.

"Who the hell are you?" Touma asked.

"Hmm, it's only been about 10 seconds, but I already hate you, Imagine Breaker. Actually, I never really liked boys who act like heroes so…"

"I ask again, who are you?"

"Quite the persistent one eh? I deeply apologize for my rudeness. But I have no intention of stating my name. Stating one's name is the same as declaring war. A war wherein only one victor may emerge."

"You think I care?! You think I'd care about what happens to me?! After all that you've done to the world? To Mikoto?!"

"Oh yes, I have a question I want to ask. Why are you all doing this? Is it for the world? Or for personal reasons? Mind answering my curiosity Kamijou Touma?"

"Both." He said grimly. The man chuckled.

"How stupid! This isn't a school play child! Hurry off and run to mommy before things get dirty!"

"WHY YOU-!" Touma was about to bust his jaw, until white and blue lights swirled around them. He turned and saw Josephine; her head held down, her hands gripped tight as her blonde hair swayed in the strong wind around her.

"Josephine?" Touma asked. He was about to reach out to her using his left hand, until Tsuchimikado jumped and slammed him to the couch.

"Don't touch her Kami-yan. This isn't going to be pretty." He warned.

"But they're-!"

"This is their fight Kami-yan. You fight to protect Misaka-chan and the world, while they fight to protect each other. This battle, it is theirs to fight and conquer. They both have a reason to win this, so we can't interfere. Do you understand?"

Touma nodded as he watched Josephine in the middle of a storm, while the man just smiled like a madman. She raised her hand and a bluish-white ray came slicing through the air, dissipating right in front of the man.

"It's very nice to see you too, Vern-"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Josephine shouted.

"Oh? Don't I have the right to call my lady by her name?"

"I AM NOT YOURS! I WILL NEVER BE YOU B-ST-RD!"

"I see you've developed quite the tongue right there missy. Mind if I cut it off from you pretty little face?!" the man said rushing towards her. Josephine stood in her fighting stance, ready to strike, until a blur went past her vision. The man stopped half-way.

"Hey now, it aint nice to ruin moments young man." He said darkly. Josephine felt her knees go weak as she looked at the person who stood in front of her, as his arms were spread sideways, as a means of protecting her.

"M…Mas..ter…" she muttered.

"Her name is Josephine, you pathetic b-st-rd. And she's mine." Friedrich claimed boldly, making Josephine blush. The man stared at them for a while.

"This…is a joke right? AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! YOU LOT SURE ARE FUNNY! JOSEPHINE?! WHAT A PATHETIC NAME! whooo… You know, your real name suits you better, **Vernieri**." He said, emphasizing Josephine's real name. Vernieri, the Angel of Venerance and the head of The Seven Pillars of the Gate of Heaven that was Josephine's true identity.

"THAT IS IT YOU SON OF A -"

Friedrich said but he didn't curse, he was still a catholic after all. Josephine called out to him, but he didn't care.

"Almighty God, hear ye prayer and answer thy plea! Divine Retribution!"

He shouted, as a shimmering silvery sword came out of his palm and was aimed directly at the man's head. He kept on swinging and swinging, with each swing barely missing his head an inch.

"The Holy Sword of St. Michael. Wow, I never knew we had a _Guardian_ on Earth." The man said as he side stepped to avoid another deadly blow to the head. Friedrich just glared at him as he stood his ground, his sword pointed right at the man's head.

"Why did you do that to Josephine?" Friedrich asked.

"Do what exactly?" The man replied in his playful tone, which irritated them to no end. Friedrich clenched his teeth before speaking again.

"WHY DID YOU USE HER?! How could you just **USE** her like that and discard her like a worthless piece of trash?!"

"Hmm, I don't really have much need for her. I just asked the heavens for someone to bear a child, and she came. It was her purpose to bear my child."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean you had to THROW HER AWAY!"

"It isn't my fault she was a useless mother, and besides. The mother of my child is someone else. Vernieri may have given birth to her physical form, but her powers, her looks, the child has a different mother. Vernieri was just a tool to bring that child into this world."

"That's just…that's just sick!" Friedrich shouted as he sneaked a glance at his partner, who was reduced to tears after hearing the truth. "How could you be so heartless?! Answer me! MILIAHELM!" He shouted as he took another swing at the man. He dodged it again, but this time, the end of the robe was cut and it vanished into thin air.

"Dear, oh dear. It seems like you know my name, magician. But on a different note, your sword is truly quite fascinating. Tell me, is it the power of the sword, or your power as a guardian?"

"SHUT UP!" Josephine suddenly shouted, making a dash forward, sending out her bluish white rays straight at him, only to be deflected by Mil and get sent to the ceiling, creating a hole in the roof, destroying the painting of an angel.

"Oh my, my. Someone is getting quite irritated, yes?"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Josephine shouted again, running toward him, as her fist was wrapped in the same bluish light. She was about to punch him, but he managed to catch her fist, twist it around and throw her to the wall. Friedrich and Touma screamed her name, but it was futile. Touma ran to her side, with Tsuchimikado behind him.

"Why you-" Friedrich said as he gritted his teeth angrily.

"Answer my question or the girl dies, Guardian." Mil said grimly as he held out his finger, with a ball of light dancing around his index finger.

"Divine Retribution only slices evil things and sends them into nothingness. So I can't just kill people that I don't like, they have to be truly evil. But your case is quite different. I have the obligation to kill you, Miliahelm Von Gurbent. Now what the hell is a Guardian?!"

"You don't know what a Guardian is?! How pathetic! Then Vernieri is just using you! The same way I did her!"

"What are you talking about now?!" Friedrich answered angrily.

"N..no…pl..pl..ease…st..stoo..p…" Josephine (Vernieri) pleaded as she tried to stand from Touma's arms. Fried looked at her with a face full of worry, before he heard Mil's insane laughter, making his head turn to him.

"See what I mean? That girl doesn't want you to find out the truth that she's just using you. She's just too selfish. ALL ANGELS are selfish."

"Shut up you heartless jerk."

"Oh, but Vernieri and I are the same, we use other people to our advantage."

"JOSEPHINE ISN'T LIKE THAT!"

"Is she really? Then tell me, what is your sorcery name? And I mean your REAL sorcery name."

"I..I…" Fried mumbled. Mil smirked.

"You don't have one, now do you? And from what I understand, you only became a magician when you met Vernieri. You only received the power of a saint when you met her."

"What are you trying to say?"

"All I'm trying to point out is that Vernieri used you. Angels can't survive in this world for too long. They need someone with the life force of a human being to feed on. The only way for this to happen is if she claims you and turns you into a Guardian."

"What?"

"Don't you get it? For the past years that you've been together, that Josephine of yours has only stayed by your side to leech off your life force. She needs you to survive in a world where she doesn't belong. She's been using you. As her Guardian, she would grant you power, but at the same time, she would shorten your life span. You poor little thing, you didn't have an idea huh?"

Mil said as his hood still covered his eyes, but you could feel the mischief in them. Friedrich slowly lowered his sword and turned to face Josephine with a look of disbelief.

"Josephine…is…is that true? Is all that he said true?"

He asked. Josephine's entire figure trembled, as the day she feared the most finally came. Her breathing became ragged as she struggled to find words in her throat.

"Josephine...it's okay...Please…tell me…is it true?" He asked again. Josephine, bit her lip and fought back a whimper. She closed her eyes, as the memories of 10 years ago came to her mind.

* * *

'_**Huh? Where am I? Am I dead?'**_

A young girl asked as she rose from the ground she was lying on. People were staring at her and giving her looks she couldn't understand. Where is this place? What am I doing here? Who am I? Random questions popped up in her mind. Her eyes began to blur,

"_**Huh? Why is my vision getting…what's happening to my eyes?"**_

She asked herself as she stood up. She bent over the railing, holding a blanket that covered her frail little body. She looked at her reflection in the water below and saw long blonde hair with matching light blue eyes.

"Is this how I look like?"

She asked herself as she continued to stare at her reflection, but suddenly the water rippled, as a drop of water fell from her eyes.

"Eh? Why do my eyes have water? Am I a river?"

"No, of course you're not little girl." A boy's voice said. The girl looked back and saw a boy wearing brown trousers and a white button up shirt. He had a moppy mess of dark blonde hair and really dark blue eyes. It was so blue it almost looked black. He had a smile on his face and he held a brown trench coat.

"Hello there!" He greeted again. The girl held the blanket closer to her body as she gave him a look. "You have really pretty eyes, just like the sky! And your hair is shiny like the stars! You remind me of a song you know! Twinkle Twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are? Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky! Twinkle twinkle little star! How I wonder what you are?" He sang.

"Who are you?"

"Ah, that's right! My name is Friedrich Claude! But you can call me Frie. Sorry for not introducing myself, but here." He said handing her the trench coat he held. The girl hesitated.

"Hey now, don't worry! I won't hurt you! It's just…haven't you noticed that it's winter right now? It's pretty cold, and if you don't wear anything other than that blanket, you'll catch a cold." He said placing it around her. The girl looked weirdly at him before speaking.

"If it's cold, then why aren't you wearing one of these?" she asked, pertaining to the coat.

"Well, you're wearing mine right now right?"

"If that is so, then please just take it back." She said about to remove it. But the boy stopped her.

"No! That's not what I meant! I'll be fine really. I mean, you're a girl and you're younger than me, you need it more than I do. So tell me, what's your name? How old are you?"

"I neither have a name or age. Actually, I do have a name, but I don't like it."

"Can you tell me why?" The boy asked as he walked closer to her and the railing.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Yes I would! I would believe you! Ah, I know! How about we make a deal? If you tell me your story and let me help you, then I'm going to take you in and care for you. How does that sound?"

"Care..for me?"

"Yup! That's right! So what do you say?" he asked in his usual warm smile.

'_**Such sincerity…I've only known this boy for a few minutes, but…I like him. I feel like we have a connection between us. I feel like he could understand my pain, and he would accept me for it. And without much thought, I told him everything. Everything on the first day we met. My story started at noon, and it ended as the sun set. I took up too much of his time. But when I finished, he held my hand. His warm hands on mine.'**_

"Don't worry! I'll protect you! But since I'm just 10 years old, I can't just raise you. So I want you to come with me right now!"

' _**He said as he dragged me somewhere around the city we were in. I just watched our intertwined hands together, wondering if this was real. If a human was really holding my hand. It seemed so surreal. But I knew it wasn't a dream. He dragged me over to a bakery, where he worked part time. He was an orphan. A human child without parents. So he was forced to work in order to live. The baker took me in, and so did he. He brushed my hair, he helped me to bed, and he read me stories. I felt so happy, so contented, that I forgot all my pain by just spending a single day with him. We stayed by each other's side, until one day…'**_

"Neh, I finally thought of a name for you!" Frie said happily as they sat under the shade of a tree.

"Really? What is it Master?"

"Uh…you can stop calling me Master you know. Frie is just fine."

"But you are my Master, Master Frie."

"Sigh…fine, fine…" '

'_**He sighed as he lay down on the grass, his messy hair swaying with the wind as he looked at me with his eyes that confused me. Was it blue or was it black? I never really knew. But his words always surprised me, even now.'**_

"Since you're calling me Master, it's alright to call you Josephine Emery, right?"

'_**He asked with a blush that I found was adorable. He smiled and sat up, before tousling my hair from the braid it was in.'**_

"Your name means 'twinkle in my eyes' you see. Just like that song you like!"

'_**Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.**_

_**How I wonder what you are?**_

_**Up above the world so high,**_

_**Like a diamond in the sky.'**_

"I don't get why you like that song so much though Em. It's too childish for me…but I guess since you are just 6, I guess its fine."

'_**He said as he laid back down, crossing his arms below his head and closing his eye, as my new nickname hung in the air. I like that song so much because it was the first song you sang to me. I wanted to say it, but I was scared. What if he didn't like me the way I did him? Would he reject me? Would he drive me away? I couldn't bear that.'**_

"But you know what Em? I think that song is really sad. In the end, the person still didn't know who the star was! That's just tragic!"

'_**Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.**_

_**How I wonder what you are?...'**_

"Ha, but I guess that's life for you!"

'_**He said standing up and facing me. He had a worried look on his face. His eyes that aroused the curiosity in me brewed turmoil even more. You knelt in front of me and held my face with your warm, gentle yet firm hands. I was entranced, I couldn't move.'**_

"Em, listen, I'm going to have to leave you at the baker's for a while. There's somewhere I need to go, and I can't take you with me, so please be a good girl okay?"

'_**Don't leave, I beg inside. I cry and wail, but no sound was made. I was as silent and still as a rock, but inside I was crumbling. You let go of my face, and I begin to miss the feeling of your touch.'**_

"But before I leave Em, I have one last present for you."

'_**You say before taking my hand and dragging me out to the grassy planes where we used to play. The sun had begun to set; the darkness slowly draped the sky, as the stars slowly appeared one by one. I was awe struck by its beauty, until I heard your voice sing out to me.'**_

'_**Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.**_

_**I want to know who you are.**_

_**When I'm with you I feel so free,**_

_**Could you please stay with me?**_

_**Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,**_

_**I will love you as you are.'**_

'_**You're eyes, so mysterious and so big. Pleading me to listen to your voice and give you an answer. I could only nod and walk closer to you. You seemed surprise, but it didn't matter. I tip toed on my toes and kissed your cheek. You smiled, hugged me and ran off, screaming that you'll be back. Someday. I waited. Day after day. Week after week. Month after month. A whole year. You've been gone for a whole year, and I was beginning to get scared. What if you never came back? What if you were gone? Just the mere thought made me cry. I feel to my knees and wept. Until I heard a voice saying,'**_

"Why are you crying Em? Did you really miss me that much?"

'_**I turn and saw you, with your usual smile, your hair was longer now, hiding you mysterious eyes. I couldn't bear to lose you again. You tell me that you went overseas for an exam. For a test to become a member of some Magic Cabal named Necessarius. You came back for me, so that we could be together once more. I didn't want to lose you again. So I casted a spell on you, even if it meant sacrificing some of your memories, I did it, to make sure you would live longer than I. You never once called me Em, you never sang that song, you never remembered our promise. I did it for you, Master. All because, I love you…Master Frie.'**_

* * *

"Josephine…please, answer me…"

Friedrich asked as he still looked at Josephine, who was being held by Touma.

"I…I'm so sorry…Master…P...Please forgive me…." She said as she burst into tears. The pain from remembering their past was too much. Her emotion flooded her heart and chest, until her tears flooded her eyes. She clung to Touma's arm which held her. Touma could only watch as the young girl cried out her hurt. Friedrich released a breath, before turning back to his enemy.

"Stop crying Josephine."

He said in a calm voice. In reality, this news broke him. But he stood strong.

"B-But Master…"

"Josephine Emery Miers. I didn't raise you to become a coward. So stop crying already. It's fine really. I always knew there was something weird with you, something that you weren't telling me, but I never really knew what it was. I swore to myself that whatever it was, I wouldn't get mad, and I would just accept it. I mean, you accepted me for who I was, despite being a childish, annoying and a pedophilic teenager, you still took care of me, though you were 4 years younger than me. Maybe hundreds of years older than me, but it doesn't matter. You still are Josephine, and no matter what you did in the past, you're still my Josephine. So it's okay." He said with a smile. "Do you-"

His words suddenly got stuck. Josephine moved away from Touma's grasp.

"Master?" she asked, but he stood silently. His shoulders shrugged as he let out a cough.

"Mas-?... MASTER?!"

Josephine shouted as she noticed the blood dripping from the Holy Sword. Blood spluttered everywhere as Friedrich's body slowly fell to the ground, resounding with a loud thud. Touma, Josephine and Tsuchimikado were stuck in their places, with wide eyes.

"You people bore me."

Mil's voice said, interrupting their deliria. Touma felt something pulsate within him. He was furious, yes. But it was something else entirely. His blood boiled as his fingers curled up into a fist.

"Kill him." A voice resounded in his mind. He didn't know who it was. But he had the unnerving feeling to do just that. He looked over to Josephine who was now crawling to her Master's side, her hands a mixture of blood and tears.

"Kill him." The voice said again.

"Well, aren't you gonna fight me, Imagine Breaker?"

Mil asked in a voice seemingly meant to provoke him. And hell it worked. Touma stood up, his hands clenched into a tight fist.

"CLENCH YOUR TEETH YOU B-ST-RD! THIS ONE IS GOING TO HURT LIKE HELL WHEN I'M DONE WITH YOU!"

He shouted, as his rage took over him.

**-chapter end-**

**Oh god this chapter's tiring! My favorite part would be the song thing! I have always loved changing the lyrics of songs… I think they're adorable! Well, that covers Josephine's past! Only one more angel left to cover! **

**OH MY GOD I FORGOT SOMETHING!**

**I forgot to write about the part where Touma calls someone to watch over Mikoto! Shucks! Ugh, I was so focused on Josephine I completely forgot! **

**Well, I'll just have to do something about it…. BTW, TAKNR's manga hasn't been updating for quite some time now huh?**

**Oh, and congratulations to the fabulous ending of "Forgotten" by ArmoredCoreNineball! I read it while I was in school with a friend and we ended up screaming over it. Yeah, me and my weird friends…**

**I gotta go! I hope I did a fairly good job! I hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading! Please leave a review! Ja~**


	17. How to deal with a b-st-rd

**Hello! So, this chapter won't have much of Mikoto, since it will focus on Touma's battle (for Mikoto and the world!). Okay, I want to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter so please allow me to give a few shout outs before I start the story okay?**

**Namikaze Nara, ArmoredCoreNineBall, 61wisampa (thanks for wishing me luck!), a whole lot of Guests, cherryz99, Shadrala, and that's all for now. Thanks for all your comments!**

**Oh, and to answer a few things or confusions I noted on the reviews, the thing about Josephine and Frie's past will be tackled in another latter chapter. Including the spell thingy. It's actually a lot simpler than I let it on. This is getting a bit more complicated than I intended it to be, but hey, it's already here, might as well just seal the deal right? Another thing, Frie didn't kill himself nor did her hurt himself intentionally. Mil was the one who hurt him and stabbed his chest. So please blame that b-st-rd.**

**Well, thank you again. So here's chapter 17!**

Chapter 17

"Mas-?... MASTER?!"

Josephine shouted as she noticed the blood dripping from the Holy Sword. Blood spluttered everywhere as Friedrich's body slowly fell to the ground, resounding with a loud thud. Touma, Josephine and Tsuchimikado were stuck in their places, with wide eyes.

"You people bore me."

Mil's voice said, interrupting their deliria. Touma felt something pulsate within him. He was furious, yes. But it was something else entirely. His blood boiled as his fingers curled up into a fist.

"Kill him." A voice resounded in his mind. He didn't know who it was. But he had the unnerving feeling to do just that. He looked over to Josephine who was now crawling to her Master's side, her hands a mixture of blood and tears.

"Kill him." The voice said again.

"Well, aren't you gonna fight me, Imagine Breaker?"

Mil asked in a voice seemingly meant to provoke him. And hell it worked. Touma stood up, his hands clenched into a tight fist.

"CLENCH YOUR TEETH YOU B-ST-RD! THIS ONE IS GOING TO HURT LIKE HELL WHEN I'M DONE WITH YOU!"

He shouted, as his rage took over him. Touma ran fast. His footsteps resounding in every movement. Yet Mil still hasn't moved.

"Yes, that's it! Be enraged Imagine Breaker! Hate me! Despise me and do your best to kill me!"

He shouted, taunting Touma, which seemed to work. Touma threw his right fist, supposedly at his face, but Mil managed to evade his attack.

"Is that all you can do?! Imagine Breaker?!"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"

Touma shouted again as he came for another punch. Mil seemingly teleported beside Touma, in his blind spot, allowing Mil to hit Touma's stomach clearly and forcefully with his knee. Touma flew upwards, but easily regained his composure. He held his stomach as he panted, with one knee on the floor.

"You disappoint me you know, Kamijou Touma."

"Why the hell should I do otherwise?! You b-st-rd! Mikoto is already suffering so much from carrying an angel inside of her, and you had to do this?! Josephine and Friedrich are already living peaceful lives and you had to come and ruin them?! YOU'RE DEMENTED! YOU MAKE ME SICK!"

"Is that so? But please do tell me, which do you want to talk about? What I did to Vernieri or about Misaka Mikoto-san?"

Mil asked. Touma stood up. He wavered a bit, but he stood still before facing his enemy.

"How did you know Mikoto's full name?"

"It is my duty to know everything about our target. But alas, I'm afraid I cannot speak more on this subject."

"Then why did you include it in the choices you dumbass?!"

"I thought it would be interesting to see your reaction to it. To choose between your friends and the one you love. That I would like to see."

"Why you-!" Touma said as he stepped forward, ready to punch Mil like a punching bag and the beat the carp out of him. But something felt different inside of him. All the movements he made, it was like they weren't his. His punches, his steps, his kicks. They all seemed so foreign to him.

"What is it? Dear Imagine Breaker? Are you feeling it yet? The power within you? The power wanting to break out from your pathetic little body?" Mil taunted again. Touma clenched his teeth.

'_This guy is right. Something is wrong with me. Something is wrong INSIDE of me. But what is it?! What is he- Oh no…'_ Touma thought upon realizing it.

"How the hell did you know about it?" Touma asked as he stopped his bombardment of attacks while glaring at Mil.

"Know about what exactly? I know a lot of things about a lot of people you know."

"Know about me! Know what it is inside of me damn it! How the hell did you find out about it?!"

"Oh, that little detail… Well yes, I accidentally discovered it while wondering if you were a threat to our plan, and it turns out, you were. So I made some preparations and researched more on that matter."

"What do you know?" Touma asked as he gripped his hands and clenched his teeth. Mil just smiled at him.

"Hmm? I wonder? Should I answer your question or not? I really don't know…"

"JUST ANSWER ME DAMN IT!"

"I'm sorry, but no can do, Mister Kamijou. I can't be telling you stuff about yourself that you don't know. That would disrupt the balance of the world."

"YOU'RE CAUSING THE IMBALANCE!"

"So do you count Miss Misaka Mikoto as a factor to this imbalance?" He asked slyly.

"N..no. Mikoto is innocent here! She just got experimented on! It's not her fault!"

"Oh? Do I sense hesitation in your voice? Do you distrust her?"

"NO! Of course I trust her!"

"Then why are you hesitating to answer me earlier?"

"N..I..I wasn't! You-"

"KAMI-YAN! That guy is just playing mind tricks on you! Don't listen to him and just keep fighting!" Tsuchimikado shouted, catching their attention.

"But Tsuchimikado! He-"

"Don't listen to him! He's your enemy right now Kami-yan! Just focus on- UGH!" Tsuchimikado said as he suddenly fell to the ground.

Everything was a blur. It had happened so fast, Touma didn't know what actually happened. But right now, Tsuchimikado was lying on the floor, blood seeping through his clothes, beside a crying Josephine who was cradling Friedrich in her arms. It was horrible. A young girl was crying in between two bodies of blood.

"Tsuchimikado?"

Touma managed to utter out despite his confusion. Yet the moment he finished, he felt a sharp pain from the right side of his body. He turned his head a bit and saw Friedrich's sword cutting the flesh of his right shoulder.

"What the-"

"I told you: You bore me. Never let your guard down while fighting an enemy, Kamijou Touma. It might just lead to your demise."

Mil said as he gripped Friedrich's sword, slashing it upwards, cutting off Touma's right arm in the process. Touma's face remained emotionless as he just stared at the joint where his right arm used to be.

"MASTER KAMIJOU!"

Josephine screamed. That woke Touma up. He looked forward, the image of Josephine crying and the bodies of his friends being the last things that he saw. His body gave up standing as he fell face-first into a pool of his own blood.

* * *

"Am I dead?"

Touma asked. He looked around, but all he saw was black. Nothingness. An empty void. It was driving him mad.

"I guess I am dead… and I wasn't able to save Mikoto or anyone else for that matter… I'm just pathetic…"

He said ruffling his hair.

"_**Power…"**_

A dark and deep voice said. Touma's head snapped forward, in search of that ominous voice.

"Who are you?!" He asked.

"_**I can give you the power you need…"**_ The voice said, not really answering Touma's question.

"I asked you who you are?! Answer me properly damn it!"

"_**Power to save your own life, to save your friend, to save the world. But most of all, power to save that girl."**_

"What the hell?"

"_**You want to right? You want to save that girl residing in your heart. But to do that, you need power."**_

"Yes. I do want to save Mikoto, but I don't want it to come from something I don't even know! You could be evil for all I know!"

"_**I've been with you since the beginning. How can you not trust yourself?"**_

"We're not the same! You're just a psychopathic, blood thirsty b-st-rd waiting for a chance to pounce on the world! I won't let you use my body ever again!" Touma shouted, taking deep breaths as he did. "YOU HEAR ME? HUH? DRAGON KING?!"

"_**It seems you have come to understand who I am. But that doesn't change the fact that there are certain conditions to be met if I were to be unleashed, and in this case, they have been fulfilled. You have lost your right arm once more, Kamijou Touma."**_

"I know that! But this is still my body! I won't let a freak like you take over ever again!"

"_**I was planning on granting you the power to surpass your limits, the power to break even reality, will you still decline?"**_

"Power...to break reality?" Touma asked, as his mind was slowly being consumed by the Dragon King inside of him.

"_**Yes, up until now, you've possessed the power to break illusions, thus the name Imagine Breaker. It has the power to break anything concerning the mind of humans, be it magic or science. But you never had the ability to warp reality itself now have you?"**_

"Where the hell are you getting at?"

"_**I will give you the strongest level of ability of the Imagine Breaker, Reality Bender [1]. As the name suggest, it allows its bearer to bend reality itself. Change the fate of a certain someone if you will."**_

"Alright, I know this aint for free, so what is it for?"

"_**Smart boy I see. Its ability still depends on your mental, physical and emotional capacity. The more negative energy you accumulate, the stronger you become. But of course, the more evil the thing it is you touch, be it reality or illusion, they will suffer greatly, at times, even death. "**_

"You didn't answer my question."

"_**I'm just letting you know the consequences of this power, Kamijou Touma. Are you willing to accept it?"**_

Touma paused. He wondered about what to do. No matter what he chose, things were gonna get ugly. It's either he dies, or someone gets killed by the Dragon King. No one in the room was sane enough to stop him from doing anything. Josephine was probably mentally unstable, Friedrich and Tsuchimikado were both injured, and Mil…yeah right. As if he would do anything, he was probably enjoying everything right now. Touma took a deep breath.

"I refuse." He stated boldly.

"_**And on what grounds are you refusing my offer?"**_

"First, I know you'd want something in return. I don't think I want to give anything in compensation to you. Second, I don't know what you'll do to my body or everyone else. You know just how important they are to me, especially Mikoto. I know you're not nice enough to just leave them be. And third, "

Touma paused again. What was he doing? The girl hates him. He doesn't know why he'd even consider her opinion in this matter, even if she was a million miles away from her right now.

'_Oh yeah, now I remember…'_ Touma thought with a smile. _'I don't need a reason to do anything now do I Mikoto? I don't need to understand everything. I don't need to know everything. I just need to know what I believe in._'

"Third, Mikoto wouldn't want this." He said with a warm smile. "Mikoto once told me, that even though I lost my memories once, I still haven't changed. My actions, my attitudes, they're still the same. I was still the same idiot that she had…loved all those years ago."

"_**What does that have anything to do with our present situation?"**_

"Before, I was a damned narcissistic hero that never gave up, that never lost hope, someone that always thought that everything could be solved by my own ability. So I choose to be the same damned narcissistic hero that everyone came to know. And I will die fighting you Dragon King!"

He declared as the last ounce of sanity and consciousness was robbed from him by the darkness.

"_**We'll see about that…Kamijou Touma."**_

* * *

"MASTER KAMIJOU!"

Josephine shouted and wailed yet again, as she stumbled to Touma's unconscious body. She slowly made her way to him, tears flowing uncontrollably. She slowly dragged his body closer to where her master and Tsuchimikado were lying. Her hands trembled as she marveled at the three nearly dead bodies.

"No…no…no…. this is all just a dream… this can't be real!"

Josephine mumbled, trying to force the truth out of her already battered mind.

"Please don't be so pathetic Vernieri. You disgust me." Mil said walking over to them. Josephine's eyes glinted in anger.

"DON'T EVER COME NEAR THEM!"

"And why should I listen to you?"

"You..you…!"

"Can't even finish your sentence? Just move away Vernieri, I have a guest to attend to, and… Dear oh dear…it seems he's already waken up." He said with a smile.

"What are you-?"

She suddenly felt something extremely ominous; it was like a dark cloud shadowing her existence. She looked back, and her jaw dropped in explicit fear. Touma had stood up. His arm was still as bloody as hell, but something was coming out of it… No… something was being formed from the blood coming out of it! While Josephine was shaken, Mil smiled.

"It's a very nice night, isn't it? Oh great Dragon King?"

"You know who I am." Touma, or the Dragon King, answered in its usual deep and dark voice.

"Well of course I do, your royal highness. You are a major threat to Ave's plan. It's my duty as his ever loyal friend to prevent any flaw from his plan."

"Such loyalty makes me sick. I'm willing to bet this boy's life that in the end, you'd be the greatest flaw in that plan of his."

"Ouch, you hit me where it hurts Dragon King. So, what are we gonna do? Are we just gonna chat or are we gonna fight?"

"I know scum bags like you. You people never keep their word. But you woke me up from my slumber; do you know what the price for that is?"

"Hmm…I don't know, could you tell me?" He answered playfully.

"Death."

"Ooh, sounds like fun. Try me."

Mil said as he dashed forward, with the Dragon King moving at the same pace. They both seemed like blurs merely passing by each other, even Josephine, an angel couldn't understand what was happening.

"You're not human, magician." The dragon King stated as they both took a brief stop.

"You noticed already?"

"No, your body is human, but you aren't."

"Well aren't you the deep one."

"What are you?"

"A pawn. Nothing more, nothing less."

Mil said as he dashed forward yet again, this time, bearing the Sword of St. Michael in his hands.

"You know, this sword has the ability to kill all things with an evil nature! So prepare to leave this world! Invincible Dragon King!"

He shouted. The Dragon King did not move. He just stood there, staring at Mil's incoming attack with Touma's nearly lifeless eyes. When he came close enough, the Dragon King moved Touma's supposed right arm, which now looked like the head of a dragon in blood.

"You disgust me."

He said, as the dragon roared and opened its mouth, gobbling up Mil's arms and the sword.

"AAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHH!"

He screamed. The dragon head bit both of his arms off, before spitting him out, throwing him directly to a wall, before choking out the sword. He watched as Mil's caped body coughed up blood, his hood still covering the upper part of his face.

"Humans…you are all the same."

He said, as he slowly picked up the sword and walked over to Mil's body.

"You are all useless buffoons, who think only of power and strength. Just seeing your presence makes me sick."

He said, raising the sword, about to slash off Mil's head, just until a bluish-whit ray of light passed by him, hitting the wall.

"Hmm?" He mumbled, looking at the direction where the beam came from. Josephine stood, her knees shaking visibly, amongst the body of her Master and friend.

"P-please stop this! Wake up Master Kamijou!" she begged.

"Oh? So do you wish to die first then?"

He asked, turning away from Mil and walking over to her.

"M-master please! Mistress Mikoto wouldn't want to see you like this!"

"Do you think I care about her? She was this boy's important person, not mine. I could kill her with my own hands." He said with a sadistic grin.

'_The world be damned if you would!'_ a voice in his head shouted, but he ignored it.

"So then, little angel, are you prepared to die?"

He asked as he stood directly in front of Josephine, whose eyes showed extreme fear.

"I..I.." she mumbled, until she felt something grip the edge of her skirt. Both the Dragon King and Josephine looked down and saw Friedrich, despite being all bloodied and battered, trying to stand.

"R..run..J-Jose..phine…" He mumbled quietly.

"M-master!" She rejoiced, as her tears flooded her face once more.

"You're still alive?" The dragon King asked as he watched the poor man struggle on his knees. Josephine had knelt down beside him, doing her best to help him.

"Like…hell…I'd allow…you…to hurt..her…" He wheezed.

"M-master…" Josephine cried as she put an arm around his waist, helping him sit up.

"You..need..to..get..outta…here…please…" Friedrich said as he breathed heavily from extensive blood loss.

"And what? Leave you?! I would never Master! I will stick by you till the very end! I swear!" she answered. The Dragon King sighed as he raised the sword, ready to slice up the two who were sitting on the floor. Josephine hugged her master, as she closed her eyes, awaiting the final pain to come and take her along with her beloved Frie.

"You…need to live…please…at least…you…should…"

"Shhhh…." Josephine said stroking his head. "It's okay…we'll be together forever…Master…It's okay…" she said as her eyes released her final tears, a smile gracing her face.

"I..l…l..ove..you…E..Em…"

Friedrich breathed out, before slowly falling unconscious. Josephine's eyes widened, as another gush of tears came. A smile befell her lips as she hugged him with all the effort she could.

"It has been my pleasure to serve you…Master Frie." She said.

"Goodbye, little angel..." The Dragon King said.

*CLANK"

A loud sound was heard throughout the premise. Josephine opened her eyes and looked up, while still supporting Fried's weight on her arms.

"Like hell…"

A familiar voice said as he panted. Josephine's heart was overflowing with different emotions as she saw the man standing before her.

"LIKE HELL I'D ALLOW YOU TO HURT MY FRIENDS!"

Touma shouted, as he held his right arm which was bleeding in place. He took deep irregular breaths as he squinted his eyes. His vision slowly blurring due to his blood loss.

"Master Kamijou!" Josephine shouted, as she noticed his body slowly tipping over. A black swish came across and caught Touma's falling body. Josephine's eyes widened.

"Geez, you can be such a pain at times, Kamijou Touma."

The man said huffing a puff of smoke from his cigarette.

"What the hell happened here Josephine Emery Miers?"

"Master Magnus!" Josephine shouted, still holding onto Friedrich's bloodied body. Stiyl laid Touma down on the couch, which was miraculously unharmed and checked his right arm.

"It's been cut off again I see. But why is it in place?"

"I do not know myself, but please save him! I can heal Tsuchimikado-san and Master Frie by myself. But I cannot say the same for Master Kamijou."

"Fine. His right arm would probably negate your angelic healing powers anyway. So I guess we'll just have to fix him up the hard way." He said walking over to one of the destroyed cabinets and taking out a first aid kit. Josephine nodded as she turned her attention to Friedrich and Tsuchimikado. She first straightened the two bodies, making sure that they were facing up, she stood up and took a deep breath.

"_Il Creatore, portare di vita._

_Guarire il poverino da il loro dolore._

_I il tuo Angelo di Venerare supplicare_

_La mia vita offrire, Angelo Respirare."_

[Translates to : The Creator, bringer of Life, Heal these poor souls form their pain, I your Angel of Venerance pleads, My life I offer, Angel Breath.]

She closed her eyes, as she chanted her spell. She seemingly blew her breath, a cool bluish-white mist coming from it. It formed a dome-shaped shell that surrounded the two unconscious men and healed their wounds. Josephine felt her knees go weak, as she fell to the floor. She took deep breaths before looking over to the dome, where the blue mist was seemingly fading. She sighed in relief.

"It must be fun being an angel huh?"

Stiyl asked, without looking at her as he treated Touma's wounds.

"You don't know what you're saying, Master Magnus. It's not easy to live in this world."

"So, I'm guessing that knocked out pedophile knows the truth already?"

"Half of it. He knows he's a Guardian, but he doesn't know anything besides that."

"Your past?"

"It's better if he doesn't remember actually. Master Frie's life is already perfect. I don't see any reason to ruin it."

"So you think he's happy living his life which is just an illusion? This guy right here wouldn't like that." Stiyl mused, referring to Touma, who was still unconscious.

"Then he should shatter his own illusion then. The life he's living now is a lie as well. That happiness, it's just temporary**. All Guardians end up living false lives**."

"There is a significant difference between completely fake and temporary you know."

"I don't understand why we're having this conversation. Why are you even here, Master Stiyl Magnus? I thought Master Fried called you about our betrayal. Why are you helping us then?"

"He did call me earlier. But all that he said was 'I'm going to do something stupid again. I want you to protect Josephine and Kamijou-kun and everyone else. If I have to be excommunicated from Necessarius, then fine. Just leave Josephine out of this.' Those were his exact words."

"Master Frie…said that?"

"Yes. A total idiot is—" Stiyl paused for a second. " Wait, something just caught my attention, you said that all guardians end up living false lives. Does that mean that…"

"Earlier, you had asked me a question why Master Kamijou's arm was still in place. Do you understand now?" Josephine asked facing him.

"Wait wait wait. I'm not sure I can process everything here. Are you saying that…this idiot over here is a Guardian?!" Stiyl exclaimed as he finished bandaging Touma's right arm. He was about to take him to the hospital, but he needed an explanation, NOW.

"Hard to believe yes? But it's the only explanation to what's happening right now. Being a Guardian allows the person to attain certain characteristics that surpasses human ability. Don't you think that it describes Master Kamijou's current disposition?"

"Since when?!"

"I believe it to be 3 years, 10 months and about two weeks."

"Wait…" Stiyl thought for a second. "That was the day that we…"

"The day we fought Mistress Mikoto's angel mode. The day Misaka Mikoto, lost her humanity and became a full-fledged angel."

"But I thought that Misaka Mikoto has the Angel of Death!"

"A human cannot assume the position of an Angel as high ranking as the Angel of Death, it was merely a project title. So basically, Deliria only took Mistress Mikoto's vessel as her Guardian."

"So Misaka Mikoto is Vlad's Guardian?"

"Yes, but at the same time, Mistress Mikoto also seemingly claimed one of the positions of the Seven Pillars of the Gate of Heaven. Therefore allowing her to claim someone as her own Guardian."

"What are you-"

"Mistress Mikoto is not just the Angel of Death. Her body houses it, but not her soul. Her soul basically holds another existence." Josephine said in a sad tone. She had a bitter smile on her face as she pretended to laugh.

"Quite tragic isn't it? Her body keeps the Angel of Death, while her soul keeps the Angel of Life."

**-Chapter end-**

**Okay, I seriously did not see this coming. This wasn't part of the original plot… Oh well, it would be a waste to just delete it, so I'll stick to it!**

**[1] Reality Bender is actually a real term. I looked it up and there ya have it, I used it in a story. But if I'm not mistaken, this was also mentioned in another To aru fic… I just can't seem to put my finger on it…**

**Anyway, really guys, thanks for all the support! Oh, and sorry for the late update. We will have our college entrance exams on the 4****th**** of August, which in my country is this Sunday (AND I STILL HAVENT REVIEWED!) Oh god wish me luck on that one. **

**Another thing, the translation thingy…that was actually came from my knowledge on Italian language, so I'm not sure how accurate it is. It's grammar is probably messed up but hey…I'm just a kid! If you're confused, please just state your concerns in your reviews or PM me if you will. I would be more than happy to give an explanation for them. By the way, I might give chapter titles for each chapter, rather than just numbering them. Mind helping me name them?**

**-August 4****th ****–**

**Okay, so I finished this chapter today, August 4****th****, after my College Entrance Exam. And I am like OH MY GOD. Haa~ Wonder how that'll end up? Oh well….**

**Thanks a lot! Well, till next time then! Ja!**


	18. Remembering Reality

**Okay, so since I am utterly going crazy right now, I am typing this chapter. So please forgive me if it ends up being insane as well. So, since there is not much information regarding the Dragon King, I decided to make stuff about it. So what you're going to read is absolutely fictional okay? ) I don't even know if the Dragon King is an actual Dragon…) And I think I made him too nice… it's like having a sadistic Alastor (from Shakugan no Shana)…**

**Oh, by the way, as always, I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed my stories so far. Actually, it should be story, because all 4 parts that I've written are all under "Facing Your Fears." [FYF, Everybody Hates Me?!, FYF: LOSS, FYF: AGAIN?!] by the time this ends, I'm thinking of furthering it…. but I don't know how… so please let me know if you want to read more of them. I'll probably think of something in the latter chapters… **

**Let's get started shall we?**

Chapter 18

"_**Seems like you got what you wanted after all, Kamijou Touma"**_

The deep and dark voice of the Dragon King spoke. Touma then realized where he was. It was like being inside a volcano. Magma popped up every now and then from mini-craters and it was hot as hell. He looked forward and saw the image of a dragon, which was in a liquid form—oh wait, it was blood. A dragon made of blood was inside a huge golden cage.

"Wait, are you supposed to be the Dragon King? While I'm at it, where are we?"

"_**Yes, this is my form whenever I am not in the outside world wreaking havoc, just like 2 days ago. This place is…you can call it my Personal Reality."**_

"2 DAYS?! It's been 2 entire freaking days?" he panicked.

"_**Yes. You wouldn't have been knocked out for two entire days if only you hadn't meddled with my plans."**_

"And what? Have you use my body to kill someone? No thanks, I've got a reputation to keep. How did I even manage to kick you out of consciousness?"

"_**You didn't kick me out. You bended reality according to will."**_

His words made Touma stop. How was that possible? Did he really possess the Reality Bender? Thoughts clouded Touma's head as he laughed.

"Yeah right, nice joke Dragon King. But I, Kamijou Touma am not much of an idiot to believe you. As if you would give it to me without taking anything. This Kamijou-san does not have the Reality Bender you speak of."

"_**So you do not believe? If so, then explain it to me. How did you manage to escape my darkness? You should've been dead. That was a fact in the real world. Why are you still alive?"**_ the dragon king asked. Touma was lost in thought.

'_Agh damn it… he's right… how was I able to do it?' _he thought. Touma raised his head and looked at the bloody red eyes of the Dragon King which gave off a creepy glow.

"How was I able to escape you? Why do I have the Reality Bender?"

"_**So you believe in it now?"**_

"I don't have much of a choice now do I?"

"_**Yes, I see your point. From what I understand, you didn't attain that power by will. You did it subconsciously. While you were drowning in the darkness, you shouldn't have been able to speak. But when I said that I would kill that girl with my own hands, you spoke saying 'The world be damned if you do!'."**_

"Girl? Which girl?"

"_**Misaka Mikoto."**_

"YOU WERE GONNA KILL HER?!" Touma shouted stepping forward and rattling the steel bars of the cage that separated him from the monstrous beast before him. The Dragon King roared loudly, hoping to scare him off. But Touma stood firm, glaring at him, not even fazed by his terror.

"_**No, I was not. It was merely a test."**_ The Dragon King answered after a short while.

"Test? Test for what?" Touma asked as he stepped back and looked at the dragon in its entirety. He was huge. The cage dwarfed the size of the biggest building in the entire world. And yet the Dragon was still cramped inside.

"_**The man you were with was a Guardian, a religious being, the confidante of Angels, am I correct?"**_

"If you mean Friedrich, then yeah. He is one. What are Guardians anyway?"

"_**Guardians are those who pledge their lives to protecting an Angel. Even if they are to be used as a shield, as a doll, or as a plaything, whatever their Angel wants them to be, they will be."**_

"So…they're basically slaves right?"

"_**Not entirely. In exchange for all the services of a human, Angels give them a unique characteristic or ability. That man was given the Sword of St. Michael as compensation for being that girl's Guardian."**_

"I don't get it. Why are you telling me all of this?"

"_**Because you need to know what you are. The powers inside of you are in an insurmountable amount. Though in theory and naivety, this is good, in reality, it is not. Humans have very small limits, I remind you. Just remember, when you die, I die. I still plan on wreaking havoc on that world of yours Kamijou Touma."**_ The dragon king said as the world around them distorted. Blood suddenly came out of nowhere and swallowed them into nothingness.

* * *

"COME BACK!"

Touma shouted as he reached out his left hand. He kept struggling, looking for something to grasp. Until small hands came and held his.

"Are you okay?"

A sweet voice asked. Touma, who had now calmed down, eyes still closed, breathed.

"Is..is that you Mikoto?"

He asked hopefully, wishing it really was her. After everything he'd been through, he just wanted to hug her and hold her close. To never let her go, ever again. He opened his eyes, only to be disappointed by catching a glimpse of blonde hair. He sighed before closing his eyes again, trying to sleep.

"What are you doing, Josephine?" He asked. Josephine let go of his hand and placed it to his side.

"I'm sorry. I believe you mistook me for someone." She said with a small smile. Touma opened his eyes and looked at her.

"You seem better."

He said as he began sitting up and stretching his right arm, who had been previously cut off.

"I have been better. I've had the past two days to myself you know. After Master Magnus brought you to the hospital, he went back to report to the Archbishop."

"Stiyl came? Never mind that, how are Tsuchimikado and Friedrich?"

"My powers as a fallen Angel of Venerance can only do so much. I managed to heal most of their wounds, they are out of danger but…." She said silently, gripping her skirt as she lowered her head.

"But?" Touma asked, urging her to go on.

"But I'm afraid I was only able to fully heal Tsuchimikado-san. He's now up and about, arranging our papers for going back."

"What about Friedrich? Now that I think about it, why are you here? With me? Shouldn't you stay by him?"

"I understand your reasons for asking Master Kamijou, but I do hope that you understand mine. I couldn't take it anymore. Two days of watching over a nearly lifeless body is quite excruciating you know." She said with a bitter smile.

"What do you mean?"

"Master Frie is alive, although he isn't moving…and I don't know when he'll be able to… He's comatosed after all." Josephine whispered as her shoulders shrugged, she shut her eyes closed, trying to stop her tears.

"There's nothing wrong with crying…Josephine…" Touma said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. _'She reminds me so much of Mikoto…heh…'_ he thought. Josephine lifted her head, a smile spread across her face, despite the drops of water on the edge of her eyes.

""Yes, I know that." She said wiping them away. "But I've already cried an entire lifetime the past 2 days. So I think I've run out of tears to cry." She said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. Touma watched as she wiped her tears and tried to calm herself down. When he saw she was okay, he took a deep breath, before he fixed his gaze, his eyes brimming with determination.

"Josephine…" Touma started seriously, "I know you might want to avoid this topic, but please. I need you to explain this situation. I need to understand what role I play in all of this"

"So, with that question, is it right for me to assume that you have already attained your 'gift'?"

"My…what?"

"Your 'gift'. That special ability. If you're asking me to explain, then surely you must know of it now right?"

"Know what exactly? I'm sorry but my head is all jumbled up…"

'Is it not yet clear to you that you are a Guardian?" Josephine asked, tilting her head to the side. Touma stared at her, processing what she just said.

"I'm what?"

"You are a Guardian. Just like how Master Frie is my Guardian, you are the Guardian of another angelic being here on Earth. But I don't think that she knows she is one."

"How did I become a Guardian?! I don't remember signing up for anything like that!"

"You don't sign up Master Kamijou. You become one, just with one simple action."

"What would that be?" Touma asked. He noticed how Josephine had blood rush to her cheeks, forming a blush. Josephine fiddled with her fingers as she thought of how to put it into proper words.

"Uhm….through…uhm…personal contact…that is…shall we..say..uhm….Intimate?"

"Intimate how?"

"Well…its…its…contact! Just think of the contact!"

"Contact between what?" Touma asked, a little irritated. They were getting nowhere with this conversation. Josephine grew redder and redder, until her head finally exploded.

"I KISSED MASTER FRIE ALRIGHT?! I KISSED HIM WHEN I WAS 7 HUMAN YEARS OLD!"

She shouted, her face a deep shade of crimson. Touma stared at her.

"Eh?"

"You can laugh if you want to Master Kamijou! Yeah, a seven year old kissed a guy 4 years older than her! Well guess what! I'm actually a hundred centuries older than any of you!"

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" Touma laughed. " What the hell did you see in him?! You kissed an 11-year old Friedrich?! You kissed him and-" He paused, realizing what she meant by telling that story.

"So you mean…" He mumbled.

"Yes, a fitting human can become a Guardian through a kiss. If I'm not mistaken, you've only kissed a single girl, for the past 4 years, am I correct?"

"No way…" Touma said slumping on the headboard of his hospital bed. "You're kidding right?"

"All jokes aside Master Kamijou. You are Mistress Mikoto's Guardian."

"…oh…sh-t…"

* * *

"Oh dear… it seems like this problem just keeps getting bigger and bigger huh?"

Laura Stewart said as she fiddled with her hair. She sat in her prayer room, which was illuminated by a single window of stained glass portraying an angel holding onto his sword, pointing it to a holy light, raining down upon him and his fallen enemies.

"Is that all you can really say, Archbishop?" Stiyl asked as he huffed his cigarette.

"STIYL! Don't smoke in the prayer room! Just think of what God would say!" Index said, scolding the younger one before her.

"Index, I know you're older than me and stuff, but remember that I'm your appointed guardian now alright?"

The moment he said the word "guardian" Index's eyes widened a bit, before closing slowly, fighting back her sorrow.

"Touma…Touma is…short hair's guardian…" she mumbled. Stiyl grunted before taking out his cigarette and throwing it away. He walked closer to Index, who sat on the pew behind Laura and patted her head.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way." He said. Index just smiled a sympathetic smile before turning her attention to Laura who had just stood up. Laura walked out to the door, with Stiyl and Index rushing behind her.

"What are we going to do now, Archbishop?" Index asked.

"It's not like we can excommunicate Friedrich Claude because of this. So he is still a member of Necessarius, and given this fact, we have the duty to watch over him and protect him in times of his need."

"So that means-" Stiyl was unable to finish his sentence due to Laura's interjection.

"Yes, we're going to fight beside them. If that's alright with all of you of course."

She said stopping briefly to look at his reaction. Stiyl had a smug look on his face.

"What else can we do? You are our Archbishop after all. We go where you go. It is our duty to join and protect you at all times, Laura Stewart."

"Thank you.." Laura smiled "Well then, if you would, please make arrangements. We need to get to Kamijou-kun and Friedrich Claude before anymore crazy stuff happens to them." She ordered. Stiyl readily nodded and walked away, patting Index's head once more as he passed by her. The moment the huge mahogany doors closed upon Stiyl's exit, silence overcame the two important female figures of Necessarius.

"Tell me child, what is on your mind?" Laura asked as she walked over to the huge window of the church they were situated in, placing her palm against the warm glass.

"I just don't like it." Index answered shortly.

"Don't like what Index?"

"EVERYTHING! Like short-hair carrying two opposing angels inside of her! Like Touma being short hair's guardian! I mean...everything! Just everything…"

She said stomping her right foot to vent out her anger and frustration. Laura looked at her with pity.

"You really care about Kamijou-kun's happiness that much?"

"Of course I do! Touma's been my best friend when I was in Academy City. He fed me, took care of me and saved me from bad people who were after me! He's been living a life filled with pain, short hair is the only person that could ever change that…but now…now…not even short hair can do anything for him…."

Index explained as her eyes grew watery with her tears. Laura walked over to her and hugged her, stroking her long flowing silvery hair.

"Shh…it's okay…" she whispered. Index made a sniff before looking up at Laura, who looked down at her in response.

"What is it Index?" Laura asked as the long stretch of silence made the atmosphere awkward.

"You know right? What will happen to the both of them?"

"Sigh…yes, I do. But tell me, how do the grimoires in your head see this predicament?"

"Well, in basic fulfillment to the rule, the human must be granted a special power, once their ability as Guardians are awakened. If what Stiyl said is true…then Touma has gained his 'gift'. But what I'm scared of is what it can do to him. If Touma really did obtain another form of the Imagine Breaker, then it would put a great strain on his body. Not to mention the effects it would bring if he were to touch those that don't belong to this world. Whether object…or human…" Index said lowering her head. Laura sighed before looking out the window once again, trying to admire the beautiful scenery outside but the truth couldn't be forced out of her mind as Index continued on.

"Short hai-, I meant, Mikoto, has twice as much strain on her body than Touma. Two angels fighting over her entity is…it's just unbearable. I don't know how she can still even smile, stand, talk…or even live… with that much strain, it should've been enough to get her paralyzed and die, to have her powers just explode out of her, but she's still…she's still fighting an endless battle against her destiny inside of her. She's doing her best to survive…but for how long? How much longer will her temporary time last? It scares me…just thinking about it."Index finished. She heard Laura sigh.

"So in the end…true love can never conquer anything after all. They'll both have to choose: to lose the one they love, or themselves and the world."

* * *

'What are you planning to do now then nyaa~? Your little city is going to be a battlefield again, Alesteir Crowley."

Tsuchimikado Motoharu said as he walked out of an English Airport.

"Yes, I am aware of that. But I do plan on letting things go on their natural course." Came Alesteir's monotonous voice from the other side of the phone.

"That's just sick nyaa~"

"I am not to be held responsible for any of this. Whatever decisions those two come up with are purely out of my range of control. Even my powers have limits, Tsuchimikado Motoharu."

"Never thought I'd hear that from the great superintendent of Academy City. But I do have a question for you though, mind answering it?" Tsuchimikado asked as he sat on a bench under the shade of a tree, near a lake where children played and birds chirped.

"It depends on what you are asking."

"Why Misaka Mikoto? Why did you choose her as your test subject? Did you know how that would turn out? Do you know anything that's about to happen next?"

"This is my city. I am fully aware of what can and cannot happen in it. All this happened by coincidence. I did not plan for this to occur, these were out of my calculations. But based on what's happening now, one of them is bound to give up for the other."

"4 years ago, she would've been just a normal teenage girl. She was in middle school, she would've met the guy of her dreams, fall hopelessly in love, get together with him, get their relationship discriminated, but they would stay strong and overcome it. That's how their story should've been. It shouldn't have concerned angels, magic and death. None of them deserve to die, Alesteir."

"Destiny does not dictate who should and should not die. It is all a matter of choice. Whether they choose to do so or not, it is purely up to them."

"Yeah, I know that…but sometimes…I just get kinda sentimental you know?"

"Humans are difficult creatures."

"You all say that, Misaka-chan too, but you're human inside too Alesteir and so is she." Tsuchimikado commented. A long pause came, before Alesteir spoke again.

"It would seem so."

* * *

"Angels, Death, magic and spells… you seriously can't expect me to believe all of this crap right?"

Mikoto asked herself as she was curled up in a ball, sitting upright against the headboard of her hospital room. It had a bed, a small table beside it where a vase usually lies, but it was nowhere to be seen for now. The white curtains danced as the wind blew past them, and there was a plastic of snacks, from god-knows-where, on the other table at the edge of the room. The last thing she remembered was going up against a girl in a cape, but she had the feeling not to fight her, so she ended up passing out. She dreamt about crappy stuff regarding a certain angels' past, her true identity and the presence of a certain spiky haired guy in her heart.

It was about 10 in the evening when an Anti-Skill member saw her passed out cold on the bench and brought her to the hospital. She just woke up, with it being 9 in the morning already. Mikoto was currently all alone in her room, piecing together all the information she had learned in a blur during her dream.

"I..am…a…freaking…angel. A FREAKING ANGEL…"

Mikoto grunted to herself as she fell face first onto the bed. She rubbed her face against the soft cottony white sheets of her bed as she just tried to take a breath.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

Two knocks on the door was heard, Mikoto snapped her head forward and saw Heaven Canceller walking in, holding his clipboard.

"Oh, hey Doctor Gekota."

"Good morning to you too Misaka-san. You're up early." He remarked as he sat on the chair next to her bed. Mikoto sat properly on her bed, her legs crossed under her.

"It's not exactly early if I wake up at 9 in the morning Doc."

"Well it is, considering these files that I have right now." He said handing his clipboard over to her. He watched as Mikoto skimmed through them, her eyes widening in shock.

"I'm not exactly sure, but I'm guessing Alesteir has you caught up in another predicament. Based on those reports, you've been having heart failure for nearly 4 years, starting from when you were 14 years old. It has also come to my attention that a young man's name kept on popping up in your visitor list, staying with you every night."

"And that would be?"

"Kamijou Touma-kun." He noticed her blush. "I don't know what's going on, and I'd bet that no one will tell me, so I'll go ahead and just do my job as your doctor. I understand that we are in quite the predicament here right now, but please, do not do anything to strain your body. You are a ticking time bomb Misaka-san…"

"One more misstep and I'll detonate right? I'll be blown up, be forgotten by everyone and just die."

"So you knew?" Heaven Canceller asked as he received the papers back from Mikoto.

"An angel told me about it."

"Angel?"

"Yeah, an angel. Can't argue with the religiosity of God now can you?"

"True, but remember that this is a world of Science Misaka-san. We can probably still do something to save-"

"It's fine Doctor Gekota. It really is." Mikoto interjected sadly.

"But Misaka-san.."

"I'm having a weird sense of déjà vu here. So I'm guessing we had this talk years ago already Doctor. I'm fine, really. I'll be happy for the rest of it. The rest of this life I've got to live." She answered as she tried to look brave, but her voice had betrayed her when it broke. He watched as Mikoto turned away and seemingly wiped something off her face. The doctor couldn't help but feel despair churning deep inside of him.

"So," Mikoto said as she faced him with a smile, a smile that sunk his heart. "Any advice or tips on preventing me from dying too early then Doc?"

"Misaka-san, please don't talk about it like that."

"It's the truth Doctor. And I accept it. So? Have anything to say? If you do, then please say it right now. I might not have a tomorrow to look forward to."

"Misaka-san…" He breathed. Heaven Canceller stood up, walked over to her bed and hugged her. Mikoto felt the old man's shoulders shrug as she did her best to not cry.

"Hey, it looks weird, seeing you cry over your patient like this Doctor Gekota!" Mikoto remarked, trying to crack up a joke. But Heaven Canceller did not move. He just stood there hugging her, holding onto her like it was the last time he ever could.

"You're not just my patient Mikoto." He said, his crumply old man voice wavering, calling her by her first name for the first time. "You're like a daughter I never had. And I would've been so proud to have you as my daughter. A girl who had fought all this pain, just for the sake on the one she loves. You're a hero. My daughter is a hero." He said as he let her go. Trying his best to stop the tears from flowing. Mikoto laughed at him.

"I'm not the hero here, Doc. And besides, you're old enough to be my grand daddy!" she mused. The doctor sniffled and laughed.

"Well I guess, I am…" he said. "JUST PLEASE Mikoto, try your best to NOT use your powers or exert more than the force you need to just move. Maybe with that, your weeks can be furthered to months, or even years."

"Try not to get your hopes up Heaven Canceller. I'm going and we know it."

The sound of a door creaking open was heard, followed shortly by a loud crashing sound. The two occupants of the room turned and saw a young girl, whose rose-colored hair was tied into two twin tails by matching red ribbons, with a broken vase and basket of fruits under her. The girls' hands were trembling visibly, her mouth agape, her eyes watering with tears and disbelief.

"K…Kuroko…"

Mikoto breathed. The younger girl, Shirai Kuroko, in her usual Tokiwadai Uniform, minus the green Judgment armband, stood there still, not moving an inch.

"N..no…" she muttered.

"Kuroko.." Mikoto said tossing her feet to the sides of the bed, about to walk over to her kouhai, until Heaven Canceller stopped her.

"Heaven Canceller?"

"Let her be Mikoto. She just needs a breather. I'll leave the two of you be." He said walking out. He spared them one last glance before closing the door, taking the shards of the vase along with his steps. Silence reigned over them, as the clock of the room ticked and tocked, driving Mikoto insane.

"Kuroko…"

"Onee-sama?" Kuroko asked in a broken voice, her head held down. Seeing her like this broke Mikoto's heart. She was such an energetic girl. Getting all depressed didn't suit her. She was her best friend; she should be smiling, but no. She wasn't, and she probably never could. Her life could never be the same way it was before.

"Yes?" was all Mikoto could answer back.

"Onee-sama…please…" Kuroko begged as she raised her head. Her vibrant smile was no more, only replaced with a broken expression, a face on the verge of being thrown into a sea of despair. Mikoto couldn't bear to look at her best friend like this. She evaded her eyes and stared at her crumpled blankets.

"Y-yeah?" was all she could muster out.

"Onee-sama…are…are..you…" Kuroko couldn't finish her sentence, without breaking her voice. Mikoto hated it. Why? What did she do to deserve this? She thought before Kuroko continued. "...is… Is Onee-sama…going to die?"

Kuroko finally said out loud. Mikoto couldn't take it anymore. She stood up, walked over to her and placed her hands on Kuroko's shoulders.

"I…I'm sorry Kuroko…" she said as her bangs covered her eyes. Kuroko simply hugged Mikoto, without any ill intent or perverted thoughts. Not a single sound was heard. The silence was almost deafening, until Mikoto felt something soak her shirt.

Kuroko had been crying-oh-so-silently. Kuroko had never cried in front of Mikoto, ever. She never showed her pain, suffering or weakness to Mikoto at all. But now, Kuroko was crumbling into pieces right in front of her, and she couldn't do anything but watch.

'Pathetic' was the only thought on Mikoto's mind, as she referred to herself. She slowly placed her arms around the other girl's frail figure, while her hand patted Kuroko's head.

"I'm so sorry….Kuroko…"

And so, the tear of an angel fell to earth.

**-chapter end-**

**Oookay, so this chapter was weird… nyah~ doesn't matter. **

**So, to clear a few things up, Index is not jealous of Mikoto okay? All she wants is for them to be happy. I think that despite always arguing with Mikoto, Index somehow knows that Mikoto is a nice person. (I think that TAMNI is the type of Harem anime where in the end, the boy chooses no one. BUT I'M TOTALLY KAMIKOTO!) **

**Another thing, I've always thought of Heaven Canceller as Mikoto's father figure. I mean, in the absence of Tabigake, she must look for some older guy to rely on right? I just think it's a bit heartwarming and stuff…**

**Next chapter synopsis: Josephine makes her decision. Touma (finally inserted it here) calls someone to temporarily watch over Mikoto. The MISAKA Network cast will be brought back! (mainly 10032 and Last Order, probably coupled with a few other fictional sisters) and my most dreaded part…the beginning of Mikoto and Ave's (damned) "date".**

**Ugh, hate that part… anyways, thanks for reading! I hope you liked it! Till next time! Ja!**


	19. Welcome Back, Onee-sama

**Heyow! Imma back! Anyway, a certain review really caught my eye. To the person who asked me about where I live, as much as I want to answer you, I can't reply to it if you don't have an account… and trust me, I really want to reply. So please just create an account, PM me or review again, and then I'll answer your questions! **

**Oh, and Iariz, your review made me stare at the screen of the laptop for a good minute before saying "What?", then our dog, Mikoto (Yes, fanaticism is my weakness) suddenly barked at me, grabbed my slipper and ran away. Point is, I'm glad that you understand the story as much as you do. I'm very thankful for that! So if you have any questions, or if you want a really long review, the please do so! I enjoy reading all your comments and such!**

**P.S. : It's ironic to think how I'm not really a pet person but I wished to a shooting star for a dog or cat to name Mikoto, Touma, or Kuro-chan. In the end, I changed all the names of the pets in our house into those three! -_- The things anime does to me…. (I was tempted to call one of the dogs "Cat".)**

**Well, here's chap 19!**

Chapter 19

"All jokes aside Master Kamijou. You are Mistress Mikoto's Guardian." Josephine stated with a serious face. Touma's face paled, as his mouth remained agape.

"…oh…sh-t…" Were the first words out of his mouth, the moment he regained his ability to speak. He took deep breathes before facing Josephine again.

"So…let me get this straight…" he said, still trying to process everything. "I'm Mikoto's Guardian; I became her guardian because I kissed her…when exactly?"

"3 years, 10 months and 3 weeks ago."

"Okay, I became her Guardian when I kissed her almost four years ago. So… doesn't that mean that I'm Vlad's Guardian, not Mikoto's?"

"Wise observation Master, but I am afraid you're mistaken. Mistress Mikoto is Cielo's Guardian, while you are Mistress Mikoto's Guardian."

"So you're saying that…even though Vlad is IN Mikoto, they're not completely the same?"

"Yes. Mistress Mikoto claimed one of the positions of the Seven Pillars of the Gate of Heaven when her soul got stuck in Cielo's Angelic Realm. It seems like the Creator has taken a liking to Mistress Mikoto's beliefs. But due to certain rules, Mistress Mikoto was only allowed to contain the Angel of Life, Illia."

"Rules?"

"You could say it's an angel thing. Since Mistress Mikoto's body holds Cielo's angelic essence, who is the Angel of Death, another great force must be forced upon her, to balance her entity. More precisely, she needed to possess the opposite of death, which is life. It's like the yin and yang principle. In goodness, there is always evil lurking behind." Josephine sighed as she finished explaining things. Being the head of the Seven Pillars, she wasn't allowed to disclose any information regarding them, but hey, she was exiled after all.

"So what's going to happen to Mikoto?" Touma asked, as worry was clearly seen through his eyes. Josephine smiled.

"Eh? Why are you smiling Josephine? Did I say something wrong?"

"Oh no, that's not it at all. I'm just glad that most of the angels here on earth have found the Guardians they were destined to be with. But this happiness is only temporary Master Kamijou. Living in a world where we don't belong is hard enough Master. What more could it be for Mistress Mikoto? Who carries two anomalies? I am not certain about these facts, but if what I'm thinking is correct, then Mistress Mikoto might be what Renaissance is after."

"I'm glad you've done your research, Josephine Emery Miers." A female voice said, making Touma and Josephine turn their heads.

"Hi~!"Greeted Laura Stewart said, as she was dressed in her usual pink maiden's outfit, with her incredibly long blonde hair flowing endlessly to her sides, entering Touma's private room.

"A-Archbishop!"

Josephine said in a startled voice as she stood up from her chair.

"Relax child. I am here to see how all of you were doing. I heard you got into quite a fight, Kamijou-kun." She remarked with a sly smile.

"Uuuh, yeah..I guess…" Touma answered.

"Well, I'm afraid someone is not very happy about that." She said with a smile, as a sudden white swish of cloth overcame his vision. Pain suddenly started filling his head as loud repeated chomps were heard.

*CHOMP*CHOMP*CHOMP*

"AGH! Index-san! This Kamijou-san is still injured! Please stop biting me!" Touma begged, without even looking at his attacker. There was only one person who would do that.

"Touma is an idiot! You got into a fight again and got injured really bad again!" Index shouted as she continuously chomped Touma's head.

"GAH! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I just did it to protect Josephine and everyone else!" He shouted. Index stopped and jumped off of the bed. She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed.

"HMPH! Fine then! Since it was for the greater good of protecting your friends, I'll forgive you this time Touma!"

" Uhh…okay?"

He replied unsurely. Laura giggled before stepping closer and patting Index's head.

"Now, now Index. Kamijou-kun is still hurt. You should pressure him like that…"

"But he deserved it! You said so yourself!" Index answered.

"You were the one who told her to do that?!" Touma interjected angrily. Laura merely looked at him and smiled innocently. Irritation marks appeared on her head.

"That aint gonna work on me, Laura Stewart."

"Aw? Really? Too bad then, but I'd bet it would work if Misaka-chan did it!"

"You're really good at pissing people off you know that?" Touma grunted as he lay back on the headboard.

"I'll take that as a compliment. Anyways, seems like you're tangled up in another huge mess, am I right?" Laura said as she sat on one of the chairs in Touma's room.

"Stiyl already told you right? Why are you even asking that?"

"Oh no reason… I just think that you don't know everything that's going on around you yet."

"Everything meaning what?"

"Oh, nothing really. Just simple matters regarding Renaissance and Misaka-chan." Laura said playing with her hair, with an amused look on her face.

"Tell me what you know." Touma answered with a straight face. Laura wiped the amused look, and replaced it with a serious one.

"Misaka-chan is Renaissance's main objective."

"So my conclusion was right?" Josephine asked, joining the conversation, as she stood in one corner of the room.

"Yes, but is more to it than meets the eyes, Josephine Emery Miers." Laura said slyly. "As I said, Misaka-chan is their target. As far as I can tell, we only have two enemies. Miliahelm Von Gurbent and Aviaries Veolia Anderwick. But the mastermind is mainly Anderwick."

"Why are they doing this? To Mikoto?" Touma asked again.

"You've already heard of "The Prophetic Angel" right?" She asked and Touma nodded. "Cielo is in Misaka-chan, that's a given fact. Anderwick wants Cielo. So he's prepared to kill Misaka-chan and destroy Academy City for it. Academy City is after all, the land of scientists, the people who killed them and brought them apart."

"So this is all just a stupid ploy to get revenge?!" Josephine remarked angrily. "He's being stupid! He's not thinking clearly! If he truly wants Cielo to be happy, shouldn't he think of other ways to get her back? Without having to kill or hurt anyone?! He's just using the name of an angel in vain! It's unacceptable! They hurt Mistress Mikoto and Master Kamijou! They hurt Master Magnus and Tsuchimikado-san! They stabbed Master Frie! RIGHT. IN. FRONT. OF. ME!" she shouted. Index walked over to her and put a comforting arm around her shoulder. Touma and Laura watched sadly.

"I understand how you feel, Miers. But, that's just what love does to people. It drives them insane. They'd be willing to do anything for the ones they love. And I mean anything. You're in a similar situation right? You nearly lost the one you love, and now you're acting reckless. I can feel your desire to kill. It's thickening the atmosphere around us." Laura said facing her.

"BUT MASTER FRIE WAS MY EVERYTHING!" Josephine shouted, looking up. Her tears welled up in her eyes, as she tried her best not to let them fall. "I went so far as to cast a spell on him! So that I wouldn't lose him anymore… I…I made him my Guardian…so that he could join Necessarius as a Magician."

"Wait, so does that mean that Friedrich joined Necessarius after he became a Guardian? –Touma.

"No, not really. Friedrich Claude had taken multiple acceptance missions, but failed each time. But after a year of trying, I sent him back. Before he left, he said "You already accepted me right?! I'm gonna go back and tell Em everything! Then she's going to join us too! We'll be the best team ever!". I was about to stop him, but he was long gone. He came back later, and I noticed the difference in him. So I accepted him without another word. But I didn't give him a sorcery name." Laura explained. That left Touma confused.

"What do you mean he doesn't have a sorcery name? It's Pedophilus165! He told me that himself!"

"Dint you notice, Master Kamijou?" Josephine said, looking intently at Touma. "While he fought with Miliahelm, the b-st-rd asked him his REAL sorcery name, and Master couldn't answer him."

"What?" Touma said as he thought about what happened.

* * *

"_You don't know what a Guardian is?! How pathetic! Then Vernieri is just using you! The same way I did her!" Mil laughed._

"_What are you talking about now?!" Friedrich answered angrily._

"_N..no…pl..pl..ease…st..stoo..p…" Josephine (Vernieri) pleaded as she tried to stand from Touma's arms. Fried looked at her with a face full of worry, before he heard Mil's insane laughter, making his head turn to him._

"_See what I mean? That girl doesn't want you to find out the truth that she's just using you. She's just too selfish. ALL ANGELS are selfish."_

"_Shut up you heartless jerk."_

"_Oh, but Vernieri and I are the same, we use other people to our advantage."_

"_JOSEPHINE ISN'T LIKE THAT!"_

"_Is she really? Then tell me, what is your sorcery name? And I mean your REAL sorcery name."_

"_I..I…" Fried mumbled. Mil smirked._

"_You don't have one, now do you? And from what I understand, you only became a magician when you met Vernieri. You only received the power of a saint when you met her."_

* * *

"Oh yeah, now that you mention it… he really didn't say anything…" He mumbled.

"Pedophilus165 was just a fake name. We gave it to him to avoid suspicion from other members. The only ones who know the truth are Mater Magnus, Archbishop and me." Josephine answered.

"But why didn't you just give him a real sorcery name then? One that's really his?"

"Because sorcery names, Kamijou-kun, represents the ability of the magician himself." Laura answered. "Friedrich Claude only became a magician because of his ability as a Guardian. When Josephine here dies, then he loses them as well. So it's not really his, so I can't name him for some borrowed strength."

"So you knew Josephine was an angel from the start?"

"Archbishop is our Archbishop Touma! Of course she knew it!" Index said, growing a bit tired of the conversation.

"Well, Josephine Emery Miers, or should I call you Vernieri?" Laura asked.

"I'd appreciate it if you refer to me like before."

"Well then, Josephine," Laura said with a smile. "I know you have a lot on your plate, but I need your decision now. Will you take part in this battle or not?"

"Of course I would! You-"

"Let me finish, Josephine." She said sternly. "If you are to join us, you would have to leave your Master behind. Besides, after all this, I don't know what will happen to you. So are you prepared to leave your master, even knowing the consequences?"

"I…I…" Josephine thought for a while, before taking a deep breath. "Yes. Even with that, I will still join you."

"But Josephine…" Touma mumbled, begging to differ.

"Mistress Mikoto is my friend Master Kamijou. Master Frie wouldn't be too happy to wake up and find out that I had abandoned you." She said with a smile. But after a while, her smile faded.

"Master Frie knows nothing of this, and I would plead that he didn't find out. The world of celestial beings is too much for a mere human being." Josephine said as her head was held down.

"It's okay, I won't tell him." Touma said with a smile. "But don't you think that—OH MY GOD I JUST REALIZED SOMETHING!"

Touma suddenly shouted, startling his three female guests.

"What is it Master Kamijou?" Josephine asked nervously.

"You told me that…humans become Guardians through a kiss…right?" Touma asked with worried eyes. The three girls were left to wonder.

"Yes. What's so wrong with that Master?"

"Well….Mikoto…Mikoto is Vlad's Guardian right?" The entire room stiffened as Touma continued. "Does that mean…that…well…she….she kissed…. …g…g..girl?"

After that question left Touma's mouth, not another sound was made. They all had completely blank faces, thinking about that.

"Ehem." Laura said fake-coughing, snapping everyone out of that dark atmosphere. "We should probably focus on protecting Misaka-chan. But knowing her, I'm sure she'd refuse it. so, Kamijou-kun?" she asked facing him.

"Yes?"

"Why don't you go and call someone trustworthy enough to protect Misaka-chan? It should probably someone that's not too close to her, so that he or she can lurk about without much suspicion." She suggested. Touma nodded, and after awhile, all three girls left, saying that a lot of planning needed to be done, and he needed to rest, and think of someone to call. After a long and hard internal debate, he finally decided. Touma took out his phone and searched for that person's number.

"Ugh, I just know Mikoto's gonna kill me when she finds out about this…" He sighed. After a few rings, the person finally picked up. Before Touma could say anything, the person spoke.

"Who the f—k is this?"

* * *

"Onee-sama…are…are..you…"

Kuroko couldn't finish her sentence, without breaking her voice. Mikoto hated it. Why? What did she do to deserve this? She thought before Kuroko continued.

"...is… Is Onee-sama…going to die?"

Kuroko finally said out loud. Mikoto couldn't take it anymore. She stood up, walked over to her and placed her hands on Kuroko's shoulders.

"I…I'm sorry Kuroko…" she said as her bangs covered her eyes. Kuroko simply hugged Mikoto, without any ill intent or perverted thoughts. Not a single sound was heard. The silence was almost deafening, until Mikoto felt something soak her shirt.

Kuroko had been crying-oh-so-silently. Kuroko had never cried in front of Mikoto, ever. She never showed her pain, suffering or weakness to Mikoto at all. But now, Kuroko was crumbling into pieces right in front of her, and she couldn't do anything but watch.

'Pathetic' was the only thought on Mikoto's mind, as she referred to herself. She slowly placed her arms around the other girl's frail figure, while her hand patted Kuroko's head.

"I'm so sorry….Kuroko…"

And so, the tear of an angel fell to earth.

Mikoto cried as she embraced her best friend. She couldn't say anything. Not a simple _Thank you_, not another _I'm sorry_, not even _It's okay_. She couldn't say anything at all. After a while, Kuroko had parted from their embrace and looked at Mikoto.

'_I can't.'_

Mikoto mumbled to herself as she looked away.

'_I can't face her…'_

"Onee-sama?"

Kuroko called out, Mikoto had no choice but to look. She slowly turned her head and faced her beloved kouhai. Sure, she was annoying, perverted, and one hell of a pain in the butt, but at the same time, she was this sweet, gentle, cheerful, caring and energetic girl Mikoto had always known. She almost viewed her as a sister, she never had –excluding the fact that she has nearly 10,000 sisters.

"Onee-sama…please…" Kuroko begged. "Please tell me everything." She said, seriousness clearly showing despite the tears in her eyes. Mikoto sighed in resignation.

"There's no way I can talk you out of this, right?"

She said with a small smile as she walked back to her bed and climbed on it. Kuroko followed her and sat on a chair next to her bed.

"Onee-sama, before you begin, I just want you to know that I KNEW all along that you were lying to Kamijou-senpai about your condition. I knew something was off, but that's all I know."

"I figured you would. I thought I saw something rose-colored flutter by the window."

"You knew I was there?"

"Of course I do silly. This is YOU we're talking about. You as in the girl whose been living with me for about more than 4 years now." Mikoto said with a laugh. Kuroko stared at her awkwardly, making things awkward for Mikoto as well.

"What's wrong Kuroko?" she asked.

"It's just…how can you still laugh and smile like that Onee-sama? You're…you're dying… How can you-"

"Shh…" Mikoto shushed, cutting Kuroko off. "Kuroko, look out the window." Mikoto said, and she obliged. Both of them stared at the window, watching the clouds move past the sky, as the sun shone brightly on the asphalt of the pavements. After a good five minutes,

"Onee-sama, pardon me…but I don't understand the point of this exercise. Please… just tell me everything!"

"That's just it Kuroko." Mikoto said, without even looking back at her kouhai. Kuroko's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Ha?"

"I meant it as it is. That's just it."

"Onee-sama, if you're speaking pre-text again, please just st-"

"Kuroko…" Mikoto said sternly. Kuroko exhaled and prepared herself to listen to what Mikoto has to say. Mikoto smiled, "Thanks. As I was saying, that's just it. I asked you to take a look outside, I wanted you to see how beautiful this world is, but you were too focused on my condition to care."

"Onee-sama…"

"The world will still be round even if I die, the world will still be as beautiful even if I die, the world will still be fun even if I die. It's not the end of the world when I die, Kuroko. It will continue its orbit around the sun, and the moon will continue revolving around us, even when I'm gone. When I was a little kid, I always thought I'd be some sort of hero. You know, the kind who always saves the day, who always does the right thing. But childhood dreams are all full of stupidity right?"

Mikoto laughed as she grabbed the documents on the clipboard that Heaven Canceller had left behind on her small table, beside the bed. She handed it to Kuroko, who just read through the files with a blank look.

'I always thought I'd be a great person, who would do great thing to the world. That the world would grieve when I die, but after finding out about my body, I started to think otherwise." Mikoto turned to the window again, after seeing Kuroko's shocked expression.

"I don't want the entire world to grieve my death. I want all of you to continue living your happy lives in this beautiful planet. Sure, there are some sick b-st-rds, like the ones who placed us in this damned time lapse, but still, that doesn't change the fact that this world is beautiful. And I want everyone I love to be happy in it."

"Is being poetic and hard to understand a side effect of your condition Onee-sama?" Kuroko asked with the greatest humor she possibly could. Mikoto laughed.

"No, of course not dummy. It's a side effect of dying. I accept that and-"

*KNOCK*KNOCK*

Mikoto was interrupted by two polite knocks on her door. Mikoto placed a finger to her mouth and said "Shh", meaning, "Don't tell anyone okay?", to which Kuroko nodded in agreement.

"Uhm, Misaka Mikoto-san?"

The door creaked open and revealed a handsome (xox), blonde young man, wearing a white V-neck shirt, with a navy blue sleeveless vest over it, paired with some jeans and sneakers. He was also carrying a green vase, with white gardenias in it.

"Ah, Ave-san…"

Mikoto greeted as she watched him enter and close the door behind him. Ave smiled meekly at her, before noticing Kuroko's death glare.

"Uhm…you're…Uh…Shirai Kuroko-san yes?" He asked. Kuroko stood up, walked over to him and held out her hand, which Ave grabbed and shook.

"Yes, this is she. I am Shirai Kuroko, Onee-sama's BEST FRIEND AND ROOMMATE. " she said tightening her grip on his hands. "Might I ask what your business with Onee-sama is?"

"Ah…well….Misaka Mikoto-san and I…were uhm…just…we were supposed to go on a date, but I heard she got hospitalized, a few hours after we parted last night."

"Ara? You were WITH her last night, yet you DIDN'T walk her home to ensure her safety? Did you not learn basic etiquette?!" Kuroko nearly screamed as she practically squeezed the life out of his hands, but he didn't seem to feel any pain at all, which only pissed Kuroko even more. She was on the verge of teleporting her metal spikes to his cranium, until a voice stopped her.

"Kuroko, stop that."

Mikoto said facing her.

"But I-!" Kuroko tried to retort.

"KU-RO-KO. DROP. IT. NOW."

Without looking back, Kuroko sighed, took a deep breath and let go of his hand forcefully.

"Dear me, it seems a little hot I here huh? Please excuse me Onee-sama. I need to take a little breather." She said before teleporting away.

'Kuroko wait-!" Mikoto called out, but was too late. She just sighed and reclined on her pillow, watching the place where Kuroko used to stand.

"Really… That girl is so troublesome…"

"Uhm, did I interrupt something?" Ave asked as he stepped closer to her, and placed the vase of gardenias on her bedside.

"No, not really. But thank you for the flowers Ave-san. They're really pretty." Mikoto said with a smile.

"I'm glad you liked them. Actually I had this specially made, seeing as I did owe you one for your cellular phone yesterday." He said pointing to a stick in the middle of the bunch, which had a card stuck on top of it. What caught Mikoto's attention, was, however, the Gekota strap hanging from the card.

'Ah! Gekota!"

Mikoto said with an adorable blush as she struggled to grab the tiny little strap. Ave chuckled, before handing it over to her.

"Thank you so much Ave-san!" Mikoto said happily.

"Uhm, not to be rude Misaka Miko-"

"Misaka is fine enough, Ave-san. No need to be so formal."

"Very well then, Mikoto." Ave said with a smile. Mikoto inwardly frowned. _'Ugh, I know I said not to be formal, but that is way too informal for my liking…'_ she thought.

"When will you be released from here?"

"Oh, I think I can leave after lunch or something. I just need to fix some papers for my release then I'm good to go."

"Ah, well in that case, please allow me to do those for you!"

"EH? No! I couldn't that!" Mikoto rejected, waving her hands frantically in front of her.

"But why not?"

"Well…" she mumbled, before a bulb flashed above her, "Ah! That's right! You're a foreigner! You don't know how things work here in Japan, what more in Academy City. I'll be fine, so you can just-"

"Onee-sama?"

Another voice, one that was similar to Mikoto's, said. Both Ave and Mikoto turned their heads to the door and saw a girl who wore Tokiwadai's high school uniform, looking exactly like Mikoto, the only difference being her hazel hair was past her shoulders.

"Uh…Imouto?" Mikoto asked unsurely. She still wasn't used to the entire 'having 10,000 sisters which were not produced from your parents free time' thing.

"Why did you hesitate to call out to Misaka Onee-sama? Misaka asks as she enters your room without permission." Misaka 10032 did just that and walked over to Ave and Mikoto.

"Ah, it's nothing. It's just…I haven't seen you in quite a while. Why'd you show up all of a sudden?"

"Onee-sama, before Misaka answers your question, please explain things to this man, Misaka says pointing to the baffled-looking man beside the Original."

Mikoto looked over to Ave and saw that he looked back and forth the two Misaka's, looking at them from head to toe.

"Oh, that's right. Ave-san, she's my little sister, I call her Imouto…" Mikoto said as she sweat dropped. _'Will he believe me or not?! Gah! I've never really introduced Imouto to anyone, except that idiot!_' she thought. _'That idiot…_' she thought again. '_He's in England…right? I wonder if he's okay. Knowing how stupid he is, he's probably lost or-'_

"Mikoto?" Ave suddenly asked, cutting off her thoughts. She flung her head forwards and looked at her two visitors.

"Uhm, what was it again?" she asked.

"I was wondering if you were twins… I mean, you two look so much alike!" he said enthusiastically.

"Oh, no, we're not. She was just born shortly after me… we're not exactly twins in that prospect…" she said nervously. _'Oh thank god he's gullible enough to believe me…'_

"Oh, is that so…" he replied. An awkward stretch of silence followed.

"May Misaka speak to Onee-sama in private? Misaka asks, trying her best to sound polite in front of Onee-sama's…visitor." Imouto asked, looking at Ave. He simply looked back at her, then at Mikoto and nodded before stepping out.

"Oh! I'll fix your discharge papers now Mikoto!" He called out before closing the door. Mikoto was about to shout back, but she knew that it would be useless. She just sighed and looked at her sister, who just stared blankly at her.

"What was that all about Imouto?"

"What was what all about what Onee-sama? Misaka asks as she is confused of what you mean."

"You were practically scrutinizing the poor guy. Give him a break. It's not like he's out to kill any of us." Mikoto stated nonchalantly as she plopped down on her bed.

"You cannot be too sure of the people you trust Onee-sama. The Network is aware of the difficulty Onee-sama and Academy City are facing at this moment. Misaka states as she boldly presses you for an explanation."

"Not much to explain there. You probably know more than I do."

"Based on your answer, would it be right for Misaka to conclude that your memories have not been tampered with? Misaka asks, as she is surprised that you know about it."

"Well, you gotta thank an angel for that. My memories were reeled back, but they're rolling normally right now. So, what do you know actually?"

"Misaka is not clear of the details, but Academy City is under a time anomaly. Misaka and other Misaka's are only partially affected by this, since we are mass entities of AIM fields, which somehow disrupts the effects. Misaka explains."

"Wait, so you mean to say that the stronger the AIM field, the higher the probability the spell breaks?" but she immediately regretted her words.

"Spell? Misaka asks in confusion. Please elaborate Misaka demands."

"Uh…That's not the topic here Imouto, so let's skip that for now okay? Anyway, back to our main problem here, does this mean the other level 5's are aware of this too?" Mikoto asked, thinking of the state of her other level 5 comrades/enemies/rivals/potential killers. She didn't really know what to call them.

"Misaka cannot confirm the numbers 2,4,5,6, and 7. Mi-"

"ACCELERATOR KNOWS?!" She immediately panicked. Of the people who could've remembered, WHY HIM? Why the person whom she hated the most amongst the other level 5's?!

"It has not been confirmed yet, but Misaka number 2001, Last Order, has noted some observances of the number 1. She claims that Accelerator is coming close to finding out. Misaka states."

"Oh my – ugh! This is much more of a headache than it was a minute ago!" Mikoto said, as she held her throbbing head.

"Are you alright, Onee-sama? Misaka asks worriedly as she notices the fluctuations in Onee-sama's magnetic field." 10032 said as she stepped closer to her and placed a hand on Mikoto's back. Mikoto looked up and smiled.

"I'm fine Imouto. Just my usual headaches, nothing much to worry about." She said as Imouto sat down on the chair on which so many people have sat on that day. "But anyway, you don't need to trouble yourself over this time thing. Tell that to the other sisters too. I can handle it."

"But Onee-sama—"

"Tsk tsk tsk…" Mikoto said waving her finger. "Imouto, haven't you learned not to defy your older sister? I said I'd take care of it didn't I?"

"Misaka would not have defied it if only Onee-sama was a bit more responsible." Those words stung Mikoto's pride. "Onee-sama is very crude, does not think of what she is doing, and very rash in her decisions. How can Misaka trust in Onee-sama that Onee-sama will not end up endangering herself over-"

"ARGH! This is frustrating!" Mikoto shouted, ruffling her hair. "You didn't have to say all those stuff about me! I get it! I promise to be careful okay? I won't end up endangering myself over something so trivial anymore! I swear!" she promised. She grunted, folding her arms to her chest and turns away from her sister. Mikoto hears a muffle of laughter, before turning to her sister who was SMILING at her.

Her sister SMILED at her.

"Onee-sama? Misaka asks once more." she said. Mikoto pivoted her body, so she would be facing her, prepared to hear anything, good or bad.

"Yeah?"

"Welcome back, Onee-sama… Misaka greets shyly…but with pure joy overflowing in Misaka's heart."

**-chapter end-**

**AWWW! I just had the knack to write some sisterly fluff! Anyway, I know I said that I'd include the damned date this chapter, but my hands decided not to. Well, at least Imouto is back on the scene. Josephine made her decision to leave Frie and aid Touma and Necessarius, and Touma called someone to watch over Mikoto.**

**Some question: Who did Touma call? Will their damned date end up in disaster? (Personally, I hope for the worst possible outcome of the date! Ahahaha!) and now, Im too tired… I gotta go, still have to do my project for Home Ec and History…**

**Well, bye!**

**Thanks for reading! Leave a review if you will! Till next time! Ja!**


	20. Asking for help, Kuroko's heart

**Hey, I actually finished this weeks ago, but the net ceashed... so yeah... sorry for the late update!**

* * *

**Urgh, I'm not in the mood for talking right now. One, because I'm sick, AGAIN. And second, this is one hell of a damned chapter…. **

**Okay, not to be a spoiler, but DO NOT skip their date okay? As much as you might hate it (I KNOW I DID…), I did something to completely shatter it. I don't know if you'd share the same sentiment, but please, if it's not too much to ask, at least try to skim through it. 'Kay?**

**This chapter was extremely hard to write because of Accelerator… his mouth is just too….colorful… so good luck understanding the multiple bleeps. I just really don't like curse words. (Aside from damn, hell and crap... I sometimes say them out loud)**

**Let's go on shall we? I might feel better at the end of this…**

* * *

Chapter 20

"Today certainly is beautiful isn't it, Mikoto?"

Ave said happily as he walked downtown with Mikoto by his side. Mikoto forced a smile as she did her best not to send out sparks.

"Yeah, it surely is **Ave-san**." She said, emphasizing the formality in her words. Ave stepped forward and stood in front of her, a bright smile gracing his annoyingly handsome face.

"As you said Mikoto, you can stop with the formalities; just call me Ave- ah! I know! Call me Avey! Yes that's it! Sounds adorable does it not?"

"Uh, yes, it's adorable, but being in my position, I'd rather call you Ave-san. My status doesn't allow such public display."

She said, in her best ojou-sama acting mode. She has never used her status for anything, but this was an exception. It was tiring, yes. It was all an act, yes. It was a façade, yes. But she would do ANYTHING just to get the hell out of her position.

"Oh, I understand. Well, I'm very much honored to have you as my date for this afternoon milady!"

He said kneeling, with one knee on the ground, taking her hand and lightly kissing the top of it. Oh god. A date. She had forgotten that they were in a "date".

After she had her talk with Imouto, Heaven Canceller came back in her room, along with an overjoyed Ave beside him. All her papers were finished and she could go. She said she had wanted to go home, but Ave reminded her that she promised to go out with him. Both Misaka 10032 and Heaven Canceller raised an eyebrow to this and stared at Mikoto. She slumped her shoulders with a sigh. Mikoto then remembered how Kuroko had walked/teleported out of her room earlier.

She knew the truth.

Mikoto frowned. This was not how things were meant to be. She wasn't supposed to go on a date with other guys, considering the fact that she actually had a complicated state of relationship with a certain idiot, and Kuroko wasn't supposed to know. None of this was supposed to happen.

She reasoned with Ave that she wanted to go and talk to Kuroko, but Heaven Canceller interjected and said that Kuroko needed time so she should take some leisure time, which in turn, earned him an elbow to the gut by Misaka 10032. A few apologies were made, and Mikoto found herself in this current situation.

Mikoto's face turned bright red as people started gathering around them, whispers arousing from every corner.

'_WHAT THE HELL IS THIS GUY DOING?!'_ she thought as she pulled back her hand and quickened her pace. _'It's alright, it's alright Mikoto… Just hurry it up and lose him. He can't possibly catch up with me right? I can just say that I forgot we were together! Then I'll avoid him for the rest of our lives!'_ she resoluted to herself. She heard her name being called out a number of times, but she just lowered her head and pretended not to hear anything. After a while, she stopped on a street seemingly deserted, panting. She put her hands to her knees, supporting her upper body.

"I think…I've walked about more than a kilometer… I probably…lost him…" she said taking in deep breaths. "Hah~ This body of mine really can't be as aerodynamic as it used to be huh?" she remarked sarcastically. She stood straight and took one last heap of breath, before smiling triumphantly.

"Well! I've got an entire day all to my-"

"MI~KO~TO~!" A guy's voice called out to her. Mikoto dead-panned. What the hell was up with this guy?! She slowly turned her head to see Ave standing right behind her, a smile on his damned face.

"What do you mean you've got an entire day all to yourself? We're on a date right?"

"Yes, yes. Sorry, I forgot… It slipped my mind… hehehe…"

She said with a fake smile. Ave merely smiled as he took her hand and dragged her to different places. A café, a cake shop, a stuff toy shop, a clothing shop and a hell of a lot of shops. After about 2 damned hours, Mikoto pulled back her hand.

"Eh? What's wrong Mikoto?" Ave said turning back.

"Not to be rude, **Ave-san**." She said, once again emphasizing her formality. " But weren't we supposed to merely buy a phone? I don't see the point in going to all of these shops."

"We're on a date! Of course I'll take you to different places before I part from you with a gift!"

"That only applies to partners in a relationship. We, Ave-san, are not in any form of relationship. So there is no need for you to waste your time on me like this."

"On the contrary, time spent with you is never time wasted, Mikoto." He suddenly said with a love struck smile. Mikoto was frozen in time as her face heated up.

"I…uhm…I…." she muttered. Ave stepped closer, closing the distance between them.

"A-Ave-san?"

"What's wrong Mikoto? Never been this close to a guy before?" Ave mused. Mikoto gulped nervously, she wanted to do something, but was unable to do so.

"Uh..no..it's just…this is…getting uncomfortable! Even for my…own li-"

"Shh… Close your eyes." He said in a deep voice. Mikoto wanted to shock him, disintegrate him into ashes, but she couldn't move. She was stuck.

'_Goddamit Mikoto! Move it! Move!_' she screamed in her mind. But she still could move. Something was wrong here! Ave moved closer and closer, there was no question as to what he wanted to do to her, and that scared her.

'_Oh god someone please!'_ she begged in her mind, as she watched him move closer. She suddenly felt something grasp her waist.

"ONEE-CHAN! Misaka Misaka shouts!" a little girl's voice said.

"What the-?" Ave asked in a confused tone. He looked down, between him and Mikoto, and saw a head of hazel hair, with an ahoge bouncing on top of it, hugging Mikoto's waist. The head turned, and faced him with a glare.

"FUU~! How dare you! Misaka Misaka exclaims as she prepares to do a trick Misaka Misaka learned from TV!" she said pivoting her body, lifting her tiny little leg in the process, her small feet landing on his pride with a painful thud.

"WAA—OUCH!"

Ave groaned in pain, as he caressed his lower region. He jumped up and down, trying to suppress a girlish scream from escaping his mouth.

"What you did was not appropriate! Misaka Misaka shouts angrily at the man who was about to molest her Onee-chan!" the girl, who looked like she was 12, said, standing protectively in front of a stunned Mikoto, hands to her hips. She was wearing a brown one-piece dress with a pink camisole over it, and some light brown boots, which covered a few inches above her ankle. She also had a pink flower pin placed neatly on the right side of her head.

"Onee-chan?" Ave asked, turning to Mikoto, his thing still in pain. "Is she your sister Mikoto?"

"Uhh…yeah. She's my youngest sister…everyone calls her…. Well, her nickname's Last Order." Mikoto said in an unsure tone. She was glad she avoided hell, but he did look pretty hurt.

"Hmph! Who are you anyway?! Misaka Misaka demands an answer right now! Misaka Misaka screams!" Last Order said again. Ave, after a few minutes of calming down, stood straight and smiled at Last Order.

"Ahah… Your little sister is adorable, Mikoto…" He mused. "Hello there, little girl. My name is Ave, and I'm your onee-chan's date for today." He said patting her head, which only seemed to annoy her even more.

"FUUU! MISAKA MISAKA IS NOT A LITTLE GIRL ANYMORE!" she shouted, flailing her arms around. Ave stared at her, not knowing what to do. Mikoto stepped forward and placed her hand on Last Order's head, making the little girl look up to her. Mikoto smiled and ruffled her hair a bit.

"Now, now Last Order." She said in a gentle tone. "It's not very nice to just kick people like that, okay?"

"But Onee-chan! Misaka Misaka says as she tries to defend herself!" Last Order pleads with a pout. Mikoto couldn't help the smile on her face.

"You don't have to defend yourself. Last Order did very good. You protected me, so thank you." Last Order's face brightened up. "But still, don't just kick people like that okay?" she said touching the tip of the younger girl's nose, making Last Order blink and sniffle before she smiled.

"Okay! Misaka Misaka promises not to do it anymore! Misaka Misaka is a good little sister right? Misaka Misaka asks?" she said tugging on Mikoto's vest. Mikoto patted her head again and said,

"Yes, yes. Last Order is a very good little sister. So, does my good little sister want some ice cream?" Mikoto asked with a wink. "It's been awhile since we hung out like this."

"Yay! Misaka Misaka shouts happily! Ice cream! Ice cream! Misaka Misaka chants, mimicking a little kid!" she said happily as Mikoto took her hand and led her off. Sfter about three steps, she turned back and saw Ave following behind them.

"Uh, I suppose your coming with us?" Mikoto asked, which made Last Order frown.

"We're on a date!" Ave said happily. The two Misaka sisters sighed, as they just ignored him and continued with their little walk, not noticing a certain albino watching them from afar.

Accelerator clicked the switch off on his collar with an irritated look on his face. He held up his phone to his ear and spoke.

"Damn it you f-d up hero! You just let the damn brat near another piece of mysterious s-t!"

He screeched. Nervous laughter was heard from the other side of the call, as another voice spoke.

"Yeah, sorry about that Accelerator… Last Order did volunteer…"

"Yeah, and I thought you were of righteous virtues! Your mindset is all messed up damn b-st-rd! I even had to use my powers just to get her down and hide from them!"

"Hai, hai. Otsukaresama (Good work) Accelerator-san." He said mockingly. Accelerator grunted irately.

"Tell me why I'm doing this sh-t for you again?"

* * *

"Who the f—k is this?"

Accelerator answered in a bored manner. He was currently at home, lying around on the couch, while Worst and Last Order fought and argued about some stupid thing again. Yomikawa and Yoshikawa were currently in the kitchen, trying to cook lunch.

"Ah, Accelerator? You know who I am right?" Touma's voice sounded from the other side of the call. Accelerator sat up and stretched as he yawned.

"Well, well. The damned narcissist actually called. Where the hell did you get my number? You fell in love with me and now you're about to confess? Sorry hero, but I don't swing that way."

"NO YOU B-ST-RD!" Touma shouted. "NO WAY IN HELL!"

"Then why'd you even bother to call me? Being the strongest keeps me busy you know. Hurry up and confess your sh-t."

"Damn it Accelerator, I'm trying to be nice here!"

"What? You got a favor to ask or something? Sorry but I aint doing it."

"At least hear me out!"

"All your sh-t is f-d up. Don't drag me into it."

"Accelerator!"

"Bye damned gay hero. Hope you die soon." He said about to drop the call, the remembered something.

"Oh, and drag all your sh-t with you to hell got it? Don't make me clean up after you, cause I aint your nanny! That's the stupid Railgun's job!" he added flipping his phone shut. Last Order emerged from her room and looked at Accelerator who was still stretching from his nap.

"Who was that? Misaka Misaka asks as she runs to your lap." She said running up to him and climbing over to him and lying on his lap, as she said she would.

"None of your damn business. Now, get OFF." He said glaring at her, but she just frowned.

"It is Misaka Misaka's damn business! Misaka Misaka says as she copies what you just said."

"Don't say that out loud you-!" Accelerator tried to warn, but was too late.

"OI! Accelerator! Don't teach Last Order bad words!" Yomikawa, the Spartan Cow, as Accelerator referred to her, said as she emerged from the kitchen, her face and hair white from flour.

"She's right Accelerator. Last Order is still a kid. Don't let her grow into a ill-mouthed person, unlike someone I'm all too familiar with." Yoshikawa, the Jobless Cow, also as Accelerator referred to her, said coming up from behind the previous woman, also pelted with flour.

"What the hell happened to the both of you? You look like you went to a hell of flour instead of fire." Accelerator remarked casually, not even minding the lecture.

"We were trying to cook lunch, unlike your lazy ass who just sits there all day, teaching kids bad words they shouldn't learn in the first place." Yomikawa said taking off her apron.

"You forgot another lazy assed person who does nothing but annoy the sh-t out of others." Accelerator said, grabbing Last Order's clothes and lifting her off his lap.

"Oh?" another female voice said, entering the living room of their fair apartment. "Were you referring to me, perverted number one? Misaka asks as Misaka wonders whether Number One thinks about Misaka in a sexy outfit." Worst said walking over to the couch and sitting beside Accelerator and Last order, who stuck her tongue out at her because of the argument they had.

"Over your dead rotten body you worthless bi-"

"Stop your mouth before I stop it for you, brat." Yomikawa said as she reached out for the phone.

"You guys want Chinese food or pizza?" she asked.

"And the hag gives up her dream of cooking an edible meal." Accelerator said with a bored face.

"Shut it or you're going to buy the food. Actually, whoever wants Accelerator to go buy food, say I!" Yomikawa said placing the phone back on the desk and raising her right fist. Everyone else, with the exception of Accelerator, shouted "I!", while raising their fists.

"Unanimous decision Accelerator, now get your lazy ass off that couch and get going." Yomikawa ordered as she placed some money on the table. Accelerator grunted as he brought Last Order down the couch gently, before stomping off to the table.

"Being the only guy is a damn pain. Damn bi-"

"Your mouth Accelerator!" Yoshikawa reminded him. Accelerator grunted again as he grabbed the money from the table.

"You do know that I'm still here right?" A male voice said interrupting their family bonding. All heads turned to the phone in Accelerator's hands.

"Ah! It's the savior! Misaka Misaka exclaims!" Last Order said as she popped out from the couch. He flipped it open and raised it to his ear.

"The hell? You're still on?"

"Yeah. You just closed the phone Accelerator, you didn't drop the call."

"Damn."

"Anyway, can you please just listen to me? It's a really important favor!" Touma pleaded.

"Whatever you son of a-"

"Actually, Accelerator would love to help you out." Yomikawa said walking over to Accelerator.

"What?" he muttered angrily, glaring at her, but the Spartan was not fazed. Yomikawa grabbed the phone from his hands.

"Yo! Uh…Kamijou right? Remember me?" Yomikawa said cheerfully.

"Huh? Yomikawa-sensei?" Touma asked. "What about Accelerator?"

"Bah, don't mind him! We'll make sure that he fulfills whatever favor you ask of him Kamijou-kun. So feel free to ask him anything okay? Whether it's your laundry or cleaning or baby-sitting! Accelerator does it all!"

"Damn it you old hag!" Accelerator shouted. Yomikawa covered the phone's speaker with her hands. "This is the correct punishment for being Last Order's teacher in the art of being a bad mouth, wouldn't you guys agree?" she asked the other female members of their 'family', all of which readily agreed.

"Ugh… What a sh-tty day…" Accelerator cursed.

* * *

"Hey, I wasn't the one who taught Last Order to say 'Damn'. That was all you." Touma laughed.

"You owe me big time for this, damned hero. Having the number one strongest esper watch over a third rate is insolence you b-st-rd!"

"Insolence? You're sounding like Shirai-san Accelerator."

"Don't compare me to wretches, you piece of sh-t."

"Now, now. All I'm asking you is to watch over Mikoto for a few days right? Besides, you know what's happening to Academy City right?"

"How'd you know about that?"

"Last Order told me. She said it had something to do with your AIM Field disrupting the magic. Anyway, who was the guy Mikoto was with again?"

"The hell you're asking me?! I don't know every little sh-t face in this goddamned city!"

"Oh come on Accelerator! I know you heard the b-st-rds name!"

"If I told you, you'd punch him in the face the very instant you find out about him."

"That's the point." Touma answered, Accelerator smiled.

"He calls himself Ave. I overheard it when he introduced himself to the brat."

"Okay…" Touma said. Awkward silence came over them.

"Make sure you break his jaw got it?" Accelerator said after a while. "B-st-rd's gonna pay for hitting on the brat."

"Oh…" Touma laughed. "Roger that. Consider his jaw broken."

"I'll crush every other bone after that…" Accelerator said in a sadistic tone, which made Touma feel chills down his spine.

* * *

"KU-RO-KO. DROP. IT. NOW."

Mikoto said sternly. Without looking back, Kuroko sighed, took a deep breath and let go of his hand forcefully.

"Dear me, it seems a little hot I here huh? Please excuse me Onee-sama. I need to take a little breather." She said before teleporting away.

'Kuroko wait-!"

Mikoto called out, but was too late. Kuroko reappeared in the hospital garden, where old people in wheelchairs were taking walks with their nurses, where children played and had fun. Kuroko walked over to the farthest end of the greenery. When she was sure no one was nearby, multiple needles left their place in the band on her thigh, striking through the tree in front of her, sinking so deep that less than half an inch was left peering out of the holes they had created.

Kuroko slammed her fist onto the side of the tree, probably injuring her hand but she didn't give a damn.

"Onee-sama…" she muttered as the tears she had been trying hard to suppress fell from her eyes one after another.

She tried not to cry.

She tried to stay strong.

But she was weak.

Despite Kuroko's efforts, a few of her tears escaped her control. Her voice broke down, her hands trembled, she deemed herself weak, after having a breakdown in front of her onee-sama. Kuroko fell to her knees, as her tears pelted the soft green grass like rain drops on a rainy day. Her body turned to jelly, losing all the energy she had, as she remembered what she had read from Mikoto's file.

_Misaka Mikoto_

_Patient No: 052498_

_Case No.: 00000 *to be explained in the findings_

_Body Examination:_

_Most bodily functions are normal. Brain, lungs, and other organs are working properly, with the exclusion of the heart. Exterior body is unharmed and no deficiencies or anomalies were found._

_Mental Examination:_

_Academic capacity is excellent. Patient is able to solve multiple difficult quantum equations, excels in different fields of science: biology, physics, anatomy, astronomy, thermodynamics, quantum physics, etc. Remembers historical facts, past and present occurrences and other related information._

_Some memories have disappeared, similar to lacunar amnesia, though reasons are unknown._

_Internal Examination:_

_All clear. No physical damages located._

_FINDINGS:_

_Patient has not been subjected to any ailment recorded in Science. Cause of heart failure is unknown. No similar case has been filed yet, explaining the case number. The only explanation is completely unscientific and is not proven. The cause deduced is the void of emotions. Stress has been induced to the heart, increasing pressure so much that it breaks down, resulting in headaches, heart attacks, or fainting. Due to frequent breakdowns, body is slowly deteriorating. Tissues are being dissolved while muscles lose contractibility and fail._

_In an estimated amount of time, specifically, about more or less 4 years, patient will suffer hyper bodily deterioration, which causes inexplicable and immediate death._

_TREATMENT:_

_Due to lack of knowledge, no form of treatment is known. Simple pain killers have been advised. Further research must be done immediately. Patient will be subjected to immediate tests._

_CONCLUSION:_

_No conclusion has been arrived at. Information is currently being gathered. In worst case scenario, patient will die unreasonably. The hospital and its doctors shall not be held responsible due to patient's imminent plea to keep aforementioned condition a secret._

_Report by:_

_Heaven Canceller, PhD._

_Academy City General Hospital_

DEATH

The mere thought of this word could scare anyone. Even for a strong level 4 Teleporter in Academy City such as Shirai Kuroko, death is a sad and painful thing. She was a fighter for justice and she was prepared to die for the greater good, but her Onee-sama, Misaka Mikoto, was not like her.

Misaka Mikoto was a normal teenage girl, one who had the heart of a hero. She would be so willing as to give up her life for the sake of the world and her loved ones to be happy and keep on living. She embraced death with a smile, welcoming into her arms. An act which she found brave yet stupid.

She kicked vending machines; she loved a creepy (in her perception) frog character from a kiddy show. She was a down to earth person. She was short tempered and rash. She was beautiful. She was smart, intelligent and a gentle creature. Kuroko looked up to her, to her beloved onee-sama. She knew that her feelings could never be returned in the way she had first desired. They were both girls, she understood that. The love she had for her was of a sister. An elder sister she had always wanted to have.

And a sister she was about to lose.

She was dying. For four years. She had been dying. Suffering all alone, with no shoulder to cry on, no person to confide in.

Was she unapproachable? Has her work in Judgment made her appear too busy? Did she not seem friendly and trustworthy enough? What were her mistakes? Where did she go wrong?!

Random questions blaming herself for Mikoto's condition rushed past her head.

Memories of her smile, of her with their simple circle of friends, of the day they had faced the angel, the day they had celebrated her birthday, and of the day she had left them for England.

The moments wherein Kuroko woke up alone in her room, during the problem with Mikoto's sisters, were painful. And up till now, it is a problem she still did not know. Going to bed, without her there, waking up, without her there, eating breakfast without her there.

It was all too much. Too much pain, too much sadness, too much loneliness.

More of which she felt when Mikoto had left for England. Seeing her walk away into the crowd of people at the airport haunted her each night in her dreams. She would wake up panting, jumping over to the bed beside hers, hoping to feel the warmth of another body, but she was disappointed with the sensation of nothing more than mere pillows.

She's gone.

She's gone for good.

She'll never return.

Kuroko had hugged her Onee-sama's sheets, which still had her faint scent, imagining her presence next to hers. Losing your best friend is no easy matter. No matter how much you argue, no matter how much you fight and bicker, you'd still love one another. But why was it so hard for them to have a happily ever after?

Remembering the moments of endless nights where she watched over Mikoto in the hospital, next to Touma who had fallen asleep due to over fatigue, after the angel incident. The worry she felt when Mikoto would not call her at least thrice a week when she was half way across the world. The joy she felt when Mikoto would call her. The excitement and relief she feels upon hearing her stories about England.

She was about to lose it all.

Just because of some damned malfunction in her body brought about by some abomination. If only she could teleport whatever it was that was causing Mikoto so much grief, outside of her body, she would beat it to a pulp, turn it into a living dartboard before completely removing it from the face of the earth.

But she was powerless.

Shirai Kuroko, a candidate to become Judgment 177th branch after Konori Mii goes off into Anti-Skill, is powerless.

She is as good as a wet lollipop in this damned situation. Pathetic.

Kuroko's eyes stung, probably from shedding too much tears at such short notice. They were probably red, swollen and puffy by now. Kuroko tried to stand up, but her knees were still weak. As she fell back on the grass, her phone dropped out of her skirt pocket. Kuroko was about to pick it up, until she noticed something.

Her phone had opened up, revealing a picture of her and her Onee-sama, wearing matching white dresses. It was during their annual music festival about two years ago. They were required to participate in one of the events, and it just so happens that they were both placed in the same production number. Kuroko was hugging Mikoto, who had her arm around the other girl, with a genuine smile on her face.

"I've always wondered why you just smiled and hugged me back for the picture Onee-sama…" Kuroko said as her eyes teared up even more. She gently picked up her phone and stared at the holographic picture of the both of them, a blissful smile on her face.

"It was because…you knew you were going to die… Am I right? Onee-sama?"

She asked, as her face fell into nothing but despair, holding the phone to her chest, hoping to store it away in her heart.

**-chapter end-**

**Okay, I'm feeling a bit better. I'm not too sure about writing Kuroko's part. Was it okay? Did it lack emotion? Was it overly emotional?**

**Please tell me! So I can learn how to handle drama, which is something you'll read a whole lot more after this…**

**Hah, Ave got a good kick in the shin… hahahahahaha…. Okay, I'm a sadist, I know. As for Accelerator, let's face it, the wordings I used were too nice. He uses the F word to describe everything! He uses it as a verb, and adjective a noun and probably even a conjunction! I tried to make him more natural by making him swear more, but it's kinda difficult cause I don't swear. It feels weird typing them, so I hope you understood the bleeps.**

**Well, gotta go! Please tell me everything you want to say in the reviews or pm me! Thanks! Till next time! Ja-ne!**


	21. True colors reavealed

**Wa-ha…. Someone just told me that my language was ultimately messed up! (For Fifi's spell on chap 18) Im terribly sorry for that! I'll try to correct it as soon as I can! (Meaning when this is done!)**

**Well, not much to say here, so I hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 21

"Yeah… well, take care and good luck with that Accelerator. Bye."

Touma said as he hung up on Academy City's number one Level 5. After making sure the call was disconnected, he heaved a huge sigh, before falling back on the couch.

"You're certainly making yourself comfortable eh Kamijou-kun?"

Laura Stewart asked as she went out of her prayer room.

"Yeah, well you did tell me to make myself at home. 'My home is yours!' You even said that!"

"So you don't even feel anything for being in an older, attractive woman's home?" Laura said striking a cute pose, to which Touma only scoffed.

"Sorry, I aint a pervert. Try doing that in front of Tsuchimikado, he might fall for it." Touma remarked casually as he sat up properly. Laura smiled,

"Yes, but I'm not interested in catching his attention, Kamijou-kun. Anyway, how was your talk?" she asked as she walked over to the coffee table, about to make some tea.

"Ugh… don't even remind me…"

"Why? Has anyone come near Misaka-chan?"

"Yeah, a b-st-rd named Ave, or some damned jack ass. I don't know really, Accelerator isn't the best descriptionist."

"Accelerator?" Laura asked as she stopped momentarily. "Ah… yes. The foul mouthed albino young man, correct?"

"Yup, that's him alright." He answered with a sigh. "He scolded and threatened to kill me for dragging him into to this."

"Ha-ha, can't really blame him there now can you, Kamijou-kun?" Laura laughed as she finished the tea. "Would you like some tea, Kamijou-kun?"

"Ah, well…okay then."

"Milk or honey?" Laura asked as she turned her back on him once more. Touma was dumbfounded.

"What?" He asked.

"What would you like in your tea? Milk or honey?" Laura asked again.

"What's the big difference? It's still tea."

"Just choose one already Kamijou-kun."

Laura said as she put her hands to her waist. Touma looked up at the ceiling, seemingly lost in his thoughts.

"I'll take milk then…" he answered. Laura turned at looked at him.

"Pardon?"

"I said Milk… is there something wrong?"

"Well, no…there is none I guess…" Laura said as she poured some milk into his cup, placed some pastries on a plate and brought the tray to the table beside the couch. She placed the tea in front of Touma, who muttered thanks. She sat next to him and took her cup.

"What was so weird with me asking for Milk, Laura Stewart?"

"Oh that. Well, usually, men don't put anything into their tea. They like it the way it is, claiming that milk and honey are things for sissies. Why did you choose milk anyway?"

"Oh that…" Touma said putting down his cup of tea, without taking a sip. "Mikoto used to order it all the time, back in Academy City, when we used to hang out." He continued sadly. Laura sipped her tea gracefully before placing it back into her saucer.

"Index is asleep in our room; Josephine is watching over Friedrich, Stiyl is running off doing some errands. We'll be leaving in about 2 hours, that's a lot of time, if you ask me, Kamijou-kun." She said.

"What're you saying?"

"Though it would seem like I would intrude on your personal life Kamijou-kun, you must understand that yours and Misaka-chan's emotional state plays a very vital role in this mission. So I'm not forcing you or anything, I'm just saying that things will be done more effectively if you take out what's in your heart."

"You mean like one of those girl talks Mikoto always has with her friends?"

"Yes, something like that. But I do understand that it would be…demeaning for a guy such as yourself to talk about it. Plus, it is personal, so I won't blame you if you don't want to."

Laura said taking a bite from the delicious pastry which lay in front of her. Not another sound was made. She sighed, it was too much oh her to ask him to blurt out his love life, especially at a time like this. She quietly ate and drank, until Touma spoke.

"I just want…" he started, startling Laura, "I just want to make Mikoto happy." He said as both if his hands covered his eyes. Laura set her tea down and faced him.

"Is she not happy then?" she asked.

"I…I don't know. If you didn't know, she left me. For about a good 10 months. She stayed here, somewhere in England, with her b-st-rd of a best friend I didn't even know she had named Aizawa Hiromi. "

He said as he removed his hands, and looked up at the ceiling, laying his head on top of the head rest of the couch, while his bangs covered his eyes.

"She left you? Wouldn't break up be more of a correct term?"

"Well….I…I guess…but we didn't exactly..have…what do you call it again?" Touma asked thoughtfully. "Oh yeah! We didn't exactly have closure. We had an argument and she left, without even letting me explain."

"You can't really blame her. A woman can only lose faith because of another woman."

"Yeah I know tha- WAIT! How'd you know it was a woman?!"

"Knowing you Kamijou-kun, a woman is the number one reason for misunderstandings. It didn't surprise me that my guess was correct."

"I hate it when you're right." Touma muttered grumpily.

"Please continue."

"Ugh..I don't really know anymore. She came back…2 weeks ago, I think. Things were pretty awkward at first, but then, little by little, she started treating me normally. As if I was still her boyfriend, as if nothing happened."

"And that worries you?"

"It wouldn't have, if not for what Heaven Canceller told me. He said…that Mikoto…she's been having something like a heart attack ever since the angel thing. I've been with her the most, but I never even noticed it. I was too dumb to notice something like that!"

"Kamijou-kun…"

"I don't have any right to be with her…to stand by her…to protect her… I CAUSED HER HARM DAMN IT!" he nearly shouted. "Mikoto…she's a great girl… she deserves so much better. She didn't deserve this! I let her get turned into an angel! I dragged her into the magic side! I was the cause of all her pain! I brought her misfortune… I…" by now, his right arm covered his eyes once again, while his left hand gripped his phone tightly.

"I'm nothing…nothing but an epitome of disaster and misfortune… I don't even know why I'm still here…I should be the one breathing heavily…I should be the one in pain…I should probably have been long dead…"

Laura stood up and walked over to him, making Touma look up to her with glazed eyes.

"You…Kamijou-kun…" she said raising her hand "are a complete idiot." She finished, accompanied by a loud slap to the face. Touma held his now red cheek and glared at the woman.

"What the hell?!"

"Do you seriously think that you are what you just said?" Laura said as she put her hands to her waist.

"Of course I-" he was greeted by another slap to the face. "OUCH! At least hit the other one! My left cheek hurts!"

"Very well." Laura said as she slapped his right cheek.

"WHAT THE HELL WOMAN?!" Touma shouted angrily.

"I did that on behalf of Misaka-chan~ Sorry if it hurts~!" she said in a cute manner. Touma fumed even more.

"That doesn't justify anything!"

"Oh yes it does. You are Misaka-chan's heart and greatest source of strength Kamijou-kun. If you died, Misaka-chan would lose everything. Maybe even her life." Her words made Touma stop.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you really not understand Kamijou-kun? The reason why the Creator has taken a liking to Misaka-chan, is because of her pure heart." She said pointing to Touma's chest.

"A heart that would be willing to love someone who had hurt her. A heart that remained strong despite in the face of adversity. A heart that has held you in it."

She said, gracefully squatting in the floor. She raised a hand to his head and ruffled his spiky hair.

"Misaka-chan loves you despite of your misfortune Kamijou-kun. You don't need to be her knight in shining armor. You just need to be her friend, to be her lover. That's all she asks of you."

Laura stood up and walked away.

"I'll leave you be. Try to make my words sink in okay?" she said with a smile as she entered her room, leaving Touma all to himself. A single tear fell from his glazed eyes, before he allowed gravity to do its work and fall on the couch.

"Her…friend?"

* * *

"Ice cream! Ice cream! Misaka Misaka loves ice cream! Misaka Misaka sings as she is truly happy about being with her onee-chan!"

Last Order sang as she walked side by side with Mikoto, while holding her hand.

"Yeah! Me too!"

A voice added, making the clone's vein pop. She turned around, stopped walking and glared at the man who tagged along with them.

"YOU! Misaka Misaka shouts as she points her finger at you! Misaka Misaka doesn't like you at all! Why are you even here?! Misaka Misaka asks grumpily!"

"Now, now Last Order." Mikoto tried to calm down her younger 'sister'.

"No, it's alright Mikoto! Order-chan here is very cute! Being so protective of her sister!"

Ave mused as he patted Last Order's head again, which annoyed her to no end.

"FUUU~! Stop doing that! And don't call Misaka Misaka Order-chan! Misaka Misaka hates it!"

"Oh really? Then….AH! I know! I'll call you Sai-chan!" Ave said happily, making the two girls tilt their heads.

"Sai-chan?" They asked at the same time, with the same confused look on their faces.

"Yes! Last in Japanese is saiigo right? Then I'll call her Sai-chan!"

"NO! Misaka Misaka refuses! Onee-chan! Please make him leave! Misaka Misaka asks as she begs her Onee-chan!" Last Order said turning to Mikoto and tugging on her vest. Mikoto only sighed, before walking to the sidewalk, away from Ave.

"Last Order, please. I know you may not like him for what he did earlier, but give the guy some slack. He's a foreigner, and I just want to get him settled in so that we won't have to do this anymore. So no more dissing him. Understood?"

She said sternly. Last Order pouted adorably, before looking up to her.

"Misaka Misaka is very sorry, Onee-chan…Misaka Misaka says as she is ashamed of everything she has done."

"It's okay. But please, no more arguing okay? I've had enough of that from today." Mikoto said with a tired smile. Last Order pouted as she held her head low. Mikoto noticed this and took a deep breath, before smiling widely.

"Now, if I remember correctly, there was a good little sister of mine who wanted some ice cream…" Mikoto said as she pretended to think. Last Order immediately beamed up at her and shouted "Me! Me!"

"There's my good little sister!" she said pointing to Last Order's excited figure. "Now then! Time to go get Ice cream!"

Mikoto said happily as she marched off, with Last Order marching behind her. The two sisters happily laughed, not noticing Ave trailing behind them. After a while, they had reached the ice cream truck, which resulted in Last Order making a run for it, and Mikoto running after her.

"Misaka Misaka wants chocolate! Lots and lots of chocolate! Misaka Misaka says as she states her preference happily!"

Last Order shouted, beaming at the ice cream truck driver.

"Ah? Well now, would you look at that!" he said surprised, making Last Order tilt her head. "You look just like a frequent customer of mine."

"Eh?" Last Order asked cutely.

"They're sisters actually. Twins to be exact. They really look the same, and so do you! But I haven't seen the older one of them for quite some time now…"

"Ah! You must be referring to Onee-chan! Misaka Misaka says as she concludes your story!"

"Onee-chan?" The man asked, growing more confused. Light pounding of feet was heard shortly afterwards, making both of them turn to see Mikoto panting behind them.

"You run pretty fast for a kid…" she wheezed. Last Orders face frowned.

"Why are you tired Onee-chan? You're a level 5! Misaka Misaka doesn't understand why Onee-chan would be panting like that."

"Hey, don't push your luck kid. A lot has happened to your Onee-chan…" Mikoto said taking her last deep breaths as she stood up straight and smiled. "It's been a while!" she greeted the driver.

"Certainly has Misa-chan! Where have you been the past months?"

"Sorry, sorry! School kept busy, besides I was in England! But enough about that! I certainly missed your world famous ice cream!"

"I bet you would! So, what are you girls gonna have?" The driver asked happily. Mikoto and Last Order placed their orders, Mikoto ordering vanilla for Ave. When they paid,

"Hey hey, Misa-chan?"

"Yep?" Mikoto answered as she licked her ice cream.

"Who's the guy? A friend of yours?" He asked in a whisper.

"Hmm…guess you could say that. His name is Ave, he got lost a yesterday and my sister and I are touring him so he won't get lost anymore."

"Oh, didn't know you had two sisters! You always brought along your twin, never thought that you'd have such a young one here. How many years apart are you?"

"Eh? If I'm right, Last Order should be 4 years younger than us, oh, and the sister I'm usually with isn't my twin. She's my younger sister, just like Last Order over here." Mikoto said ruffling the younger girls hair who stood beside her.

"Four years? But she kind of looks like 12 to me…"

Upon hearing the driver's comment, Mikoto noticed that Last Order did look…older than what she remembered. She was 14 right now because of the time anomaly, so that means Last Order should be 10, but she really did look like she was 12.

"Ah! About that! Misaka Misaka says as she remembers!" she pulled on Mikoto's vest, Mikoto bent down and Last Order whispered to her ear,

"Misaka Misaka and the entire network are only partially affected by whatever causes this. The Network should be 4 years younger, but due to our presence as a mass AIM field unit, the physical effects are only halved. Misaka Misaka says as she tries to whisper."

"Wait, so that means that you're…12, while the others are 16, right?"

"Yes, that's correct. Misaka Misaka answers."

The two parted and continued eating their ice cream. Mikoto was lost in deep thought, things were getting really complicated.

"Oh, while we're on it, where's Kami-kun Misa-chan?" The driver asked. "Haven't seen him for a while too."

"Ah? You remember him?" Mikoto asked in shock. There was supposed to be a time lapse! The driver shouldn't remember him! In fact, he shouldn't remember her at all!

"What's so weird with me asking that? Did you two love birds have a fight?" His comment made Mikoto blush. She was about to answer, until,

"Ah! Mikoto?! Can you- EHHH?"

Ave was about to say something as he '_accidentally tripped'_ and had ice cream all over Last Order's cute dress.

"Ah! My dress! Misaka Misaka says in a panic!" Last Order as she looked at the mess Ave made out of her.

"I'm sorry…?" Ave said, knowing that she would get mad at him.

"Oooh, you might want to dampen that with water. Once it dries, its gonna leave a stain if you don't." The driver suggested, Mikoto nodded, thanked him and waved good bye. When they reached an empty bench, she asked Last Order to sit down.

"Stay there for a while okay? I'm just gonna go get something for that! Ave-san, please take care of her okay?"

She said running off, leaving Last Order and Ave all alone.

Silence. Complete and utter silence surrounded them as Last Order frowned grumpily, glaring at her feet.

They sat in peace, as the wind blew past them. It was strange really. The moment Mikoto left, no one has walked past them. It was supposed to be a busy time for the park but-

Wait.

No one walked by, ever since Mikoto's departure.

Last Order jumped off her seat and backed away from Ave. While Ave, who sat cross legged on the bench merely smiled.

"I was wondering when you'd notice it. you're pretty smart, little girl." He said standing up.

"Who are you? What are you going to do with Misaka Misaka? What do you want with Onee-chan? Misaka Misaka asks as she presses you for information."

"Would you please stop with your 3rd person speaking? It's getting irritation little girl. Now, be a nice little Tinkerbelle and stay still for you big brother."

"Wait…" Last Order said eyeing him carefully. "You don't know who Misaka Misaka is? Misaka Misaka asks for confirmation."

"Hah? Well aren't you a cute little bimbo? You're the vessel's younger sister right? What kind of question is that?" Ave asked as he walked closer to her, while Last Order only backed away.

"You…you're an outsider. Misaka Misaka concludes. You aren't from Academy City's darkness! Misaka Misaka says as she tries to comprehend everything."

"Ugh, I just hate it when little kids rattle on… Listen," he said as the earlier glow from his face was gone, leaving it with a dark, cold, and calculating expression, that, much to her shame, scared her.

"I didn't want to hurt you, but you've been getting in the way of my claim against Misaka Mikoto, and I don't like it. So you're gonna have to meet your maker, got it? I've casted a barrier around the entire park. No one gets in, no one gets out. You canst ask for help, because in this space, there's only the two of us. So don't even bother asking for help."

He said, about to grab her, but she pushed him away and ran for her life. She heard him shouting, but she ignored him. After a while, she heard the loud thumping of feet. The chase was on.

* * *

"Help! Misaka Misaka is in big trouble! Misaka Misaka begs as she runs for her life!"

Last Order had managed to regain her connection to the Network, but it took her a bit of time.

"Why? Is something the matter, Control Tower? Misaka 10756 asks."

"Someone is chasing me! He's after the original! Misaka Misaka says as she runs!"

"Why is he after Onee-sama? Asks Misaka 10967."

"MOU! All the Misaka's ever do is ask! JUST HELP ME! Misaka Misaka pleads! Misaka Misaka is getting tired from running!"

"Where are you right now Misaka 2001? Maybe Misaka and the other Misaka's are near you, and may be able to help."

"10032-nesan? If that is you, Misaka Misaka is in the park! But that man has done something to it! No one is able to enter the entire premise! Misaka and him are the only ones here! Misaka Misaka says, slowing down a bit… Haaa~"

"He created his own Imaginary District? Misaka 10033 says in astonishment."

"Misaka Misaka doesn't know! Misaka Misaka thinks that the guy isn't from Academy City! He said something about casting barriers or something! Misaka Misaka can't think properly right now! Misaka Misaka is about to die!"

Last Order said as she cried, but still kept running, the Network was kept in silence for a while.

"The Network will not allow that. Misaka 10093 states the decision of all Misaka's."

"Everyone…Misaka Misaka says as she tries to stop crying…"

"Control Tower, you must calm down. Keep running, and do not look back. Misaka's situated in Academy City are now on their way to help you. Misaka 10037 says as she tries to figure out a plan."

"Stay strong Misaka 20001, the will of the Misaka Network wishes to save you as well."

"Misaka 10043 here. Misaka is in the park already, where are you?"

"Ah! Thank goodness! Misaka Misaka is near the forest! The place where Onee-chan had her birthday! Misaka Misaka says as she relaxes a bit."

"Don't relax just yet Misaka 20001, we don't know when your attacker will-"

Network Connection: Lost. Could not reconnect.

* * *

"Hello? 10043? 10093? 100967? 10756? 10032-nesan? Anyone? Please! Anyone? Can anyone here Misaka Misaka?!"

Last Order panicked as she stopped running. She tried so hard to reconnect to the Network, but all her efforts failed. She felt a hand grab her shoulder and she immediately went cold.

"Got you." A hoarse voice said. "You made me run for quite a while, you brat."

Last Order tried to struggle, but she was only pushed to the ground. She tried to scurry away, but was stopped by a beam of light, missing her head by a few centimeters.

"Play times over little kid. I was never good at being the bad guy, but I guess I should get used to it." He said with a sad smile. "I will be the main villain in this opera. Might as well play my role properly."

"Wh..who are you?! What do you want with Misaka Misaka?! Misaka Misaka or any other Misaka hasn't done anything to you! Misaka Misaka says as she tries to stall her death."

"You do realize that with that stupid way of speaking of yours, you just gave away your intentions right? And yes, you didn't do anything. I don't know what you mean by the other Misakas, but really, none of you did anything. It's your fate, not much you can do."

"What do you mean? Misaka Misaka asks as she cannot understand you."

"It is your fate, as Misaka Mikoto's loved one, to die by my hands. For that is the only way to bring her back."

He said as he grabbed Last Order by her neck and raised her up. Her little feet started kicking wildly at him, but it was still futile.

"I'm sorry you had to die really. But, I don't have a choice, because it's the only way I can be with her…"

"Who..are…you…talking about? Misaka Misaka…asks as….she struggles to breath."

"I won't answer that, just for my respect of your bond with your sister."

"What do you want with Onee-chan?! Misaka Misaka will never let anyone hurt Onee-chan ever again!" Last Order shouted against his hold. She was glaring at him, deviating from her usual charm and smile.

"Your sister has it easy! She's treated like a princess in this damned city! She doesn't know how it feels like to lose someone they love! She hasn't been touched by the evil in this world! And right now, the one thing that keeps her alive is the one thing that I love! I won't let her have it! I will take Cielo back!"

He shouted as he strangled her. Last Order struggled to breath, but she still had something to say.

"You…" she wheezed. "You're wrong! Onee-chan has been through a lot! Just so she could save all of us! All remaining 9971 Misakas! Misaka Misaka shouts as she fights for her Onee-chan!"

Ave stopped momentarily and loosened his grip.

"What?"

"Onee-chan, Misaka Mikoto, the Railgun, the 3rd strongest level 5 esper in Academy City was tricked into an experiment. The level 6 shift project and the Radio noise Project. Misaka Misaka says as she breathes."

"Experiments?"

"Onee-chan was tricked into giving her DNA map. The city mass produced Onee-chan's clones, making 20,000 of them. But…10031 of them were killed. Onee-chan witnessed the deaths of her clones! Misaka Misaka says as she sadly remembers those events."

"The why did she just stand there and watched? If she truly loved you guys, then she would've-"

"Onee-chan did everything she could! Misaka Misaka screams. Misaka Misaka was not yet activated back then, but Misaka Misaka shares the memories of the past and living clones. Misaka Misaka doesn't even know how many nights Onee-chan spent restlessly, destroying entire facilities. Misaka Misaka doesn't know all the acts of terrorism Onee-chan did against Academy City! Misaka Misaka doesn't know how many nightmares haunted onee-chan after witnessing the deaths! All the things Misaka Misaka mentioned are uncountable…"

Ave's grip loosened on Last Order, but he still had hold of her.

"Onee-chan's suffering was immeasurable. Misaka Misaka and the Network think, as much as we all hate it, we all think that we caused Onee-chan lots and lots of pain. But in the end, Onee-chan was the one who apologized to us, Onee-chan said that it was her fault for being stupid… Misaka Misaka doesn't want Onee-chan to have that sad look anymore…. So Misaka Misaka will protect Onee-chan's smile! The Network will never hand her over to you! Even if you kill Misaka Misaka, there are astill countless people who have witnessed Onee-chan's suffering and are willing to protect her! Misaka Misaka says with confidence."

Ave's hands trembled. He never knew… He never knew how much pain Mikoto had gone through in the past…

'_Mil should've known about all this stuff! Why didn't he tell me anything! Misaka Mikoto…she's lost a lot more than I have… She's experienced the worst kind of pain and yet…and yet!'_ He thought with a dejected look, '_And yet look at what I'm doing right now… Look at me… crushing that girl's heart. Look at me, taking away everything that girl fought with her life to protect…'_

"Misaka Misaka will protect her Onee-chan! No matter what! Remember that! Misaka Misaka shouts as her emotions are out of control!"

Last Order said with a few tears in her eyes. Ave hated himself for doing this. He was about to put her down, when he suddenly lost feeling in his right arm.

A huge splutter of red invaded his vision as he staggered backwards.

"What in heaven's name is-"

He was about to ask, until he noticed his right arm in front of him, marinating itself in blood. Detached from its rightful place.

He looked forward again and saw an albino teenager holding Last Order in his left arm, while his right hand covered her eyes.

"Tch. Sh-tty little b-st-rd aren't you eh?"

The young man said clicking his tongue. He wore a black and white shirt, with something like a V-pattern on it, a white jacket and some dark jeans.

"How the hell were you able to do that without smearing blood all over your angelic face, you little demon?" Ave remarked with a strained smirk.

"Thanks for the compliment f-ck-r. Sorry, but I don't associate myself with useless b-st-rds full of sh-t."

"How did you get in here?! Magna Valera should've stopped you! "

"What the hell is that sh-t? Actually, don't answer that 'coz I don't give a f-ck about it anyway. But for trying to hurt the brat, that's where you f-ck-d up big time you d-psh-t."

Accelerator said as he put Last Order down behind a tree. He took out his handkerchief and made it into a make shift blindfold, placing it on Last Order eyes.

"Accelerator? Misaka Misaka asks…"

"It's okay you damned brat. This little f-ck face is gonna get it from me. So stay put and don't open your blindfold, unless I tell you to, got it?"

He said demandingly, to which Last Order only nodded. He stood up and faced off with Ave, who was breathing heavily and swaying as he stood.

"What losing blood already you b-st-rd? At least leave some more, so I can squeeze it out of you when you're dead."

"Quite the sadistic one aren't you? Doesn't matter. I still have time, before Mikoto comes for us, might as well have fun, wouldn't you say so? Mister Pedophilic Albino?"

"That just does it you jackass." Accelerator muttered angrily. "You're dead."

-**chapter end-**

**Okay, so I'll end it here for now. Seriously guys, writing about Accelerator amuses and weirds me out at the same time…**

**And, to those who want to kill Ave, but feel bad for him at the same time, say I!**

**Usually, I don't pity the villain, but hey, the guy lost his true love, what can you do huh?**

**Thanks to all those who reviewed the previous chapters! Please just leave a review or PM me if I did something wrong. **

**Funny story: While I was on my way home from school, I waved good bye to my friends, since we go separate ways. Right after telling them to take care, I slipped and fell face first on the ground. I didn't literally face planted the ground, just nearly touched it with my face. =_= seriously… eeewww…. And that happened in the middle of the busiest street in our city, right in front of my school. Peopl from different schools stared at me, while the student from my school just watched me, jaws literally dropped to the floor.**

**Yeah well, enough with the embarrassing stuff. Dunno why I typed that… just felt like it.**

**Thanks for reading! Till next time! Review you if you please! Ja!**


	22. Opening the gates of hell

**Nothing to say here...**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 22

"That does it you b-st-rd."

Accelerator muttered angrily with clenched fists, while Ave just stared back at him seemingly amused, despite not having his right arm attached to his socket.

"You're dead."

He said as he chucked a lamp post at him. It went flying towards Ave, who just side stepped like a ninja, easily evading the attack. The lamp post created an ear shattering noise as it hit the ground, leaving a huge hole.

"Whew.." Ave whistled. "That one was dangerous. Good thing I evaded it, ne? Pedo-bino san~?" He mused happily.

"Die you f-ck-ng b-st-rd!"

Accelerator shouted angrily as he manipulated the wind, forming an ill looking tornado above them.

"Uh oh...I think I made you mad~"

"Let's see if you have the balls to talk after this!"

"Try me."

Ave didn't move as Accelerator moved the tornado towards him. He created multiple others and sent them straight at him. After about 10 tornadoes, Accelerator stopped and watched him. Trees were plucked out of their roots, huge cracks were dented on the brick ground, and winds howled bitterly.

But Ave was standing right in the eye of the tornado. Smiling.

"What the f-ck are you?! Some damned invincible d-psh-t like those f-ck-ng saints?!"

"You have quite the contempt for religion don't you? But no, I am not a saint. I am but a mere human who has been granted the power to save."

Ave said bowing slightly, dispelling the tornadoes. The winds died down and Accelerator stared/glared at him.

"What kind of f-ck-d up sh-t is this now?"

"Oh? Didn't you know? This is all merely a game... But I'm guessing my teammate has left for the bench half way around the world, explaining your presence."

"Speak in English or Japanese you d-psh-t. Not some nerdy geek hieroglyphics."

"Ohohoho... the number one can't understand me..."

"Answer the damned question f-ck-r!"

"Tsk tsk tsk" he said wagging his finger. "Quite the impatient one really... But all I'm trying to say is, Mil has been defeated, Magna Valera has been broken, and now you're here. Simple really."

"Magna Valera? What the hell is that? Some sort of f-ck-d up party trick?"

"I wouldn't really call it a party trick. Just look at yourself and Sai-chan. You'll know what I mean."

Ave remarked as he put one hand to his waist. Despite hating it, Accelerator did as he said. He checked his arms, his body and his hair. He kept on doing so until he finally noticed it.

He was taller, his body seemed longer, and his hair...well...let's just say that he probably looked like a mop right now. A demon mop.

He looked over to Last Order and saw her hazel hair longer than before. It should be above her shoulder, but now it was a few inches past it. She was also taller than what he remembered a few minutes ago, her eyes were still covered as she sat behind a tree.

"Okay, since this is impossible to be just a growth spurt, this Magna Valera sh-t steals time from our bodies...and probably our memories too right?"

Accelerator concluded as he faced the right arm-less man in front of him.

"Yes, that's correct. But he must have been defeated...but by who I wonder..."

"Aint that obvious d-psh-t? The damned hero is half way across the world too you know."

"Damned hero?" Ave asked tilting his head. "And who might that be?"

Accelerator sighed exasperatedly, as he scratched his head of messy white hair.

"Aren't you one f-ck-d up f-ck-r? You came here for a fight and you don't know who the damned hero is? Let's see if his name rings any bells shall we?"

"Just tell me his name would-"

"Kamijou Touma."

The moment Accelerator mouthed those words, the world they were in was stuck in a stand still. Not a single sound was made, the only audible was one Last Order's whimpers. Accelerator raised a brow.

"Something wrong you b-st-rd?"

He asked, but no response. Accelerator smirked.

"Oh, now I see~" He began in an amused tone. "Hearing his name made you jizz your pants huh d-psh-t? Ahahahaha! You're scared of him?! Ahahahahah! Pathetic! Absolutely pathetic! You-"

"SHUT THE F-CK UP!"

Ave shouted angrily, red swirls of something unknown flew around him, surrounding Ave's body in circles. They came together and formed a red blob of whatever and flew to where his right arm should've been in.

"The hell you're doing?"

Accelerator muttered as he watched him. Ave didn't respond, as he was seemingly possessed by something. The red blob started moving in a weird manner, until it finally popped, leaving a new right arm on Ave's body.

"_Regeneration?"_ Accelerator thought. _"What the hell is this guy?"'_

"Hehe..hehe...HEHEHEHE! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!"

Accelerator's thought were suddenly cut off by Ave's manic laughter. Ave started swaying as he stood, like a drunk man after a party.

"Oi. Are you still sane enough to fight?"

"Sane? There's no such thing..." he answered, but this time, in a different voice. "There is no such thing as sanity is this damned world!"

He shouted dashing forward. Accelerator moved back, and sent out vectors to immobilize him, but the moment they reached his out stretched new right arm, only a loud shattering sound was made, before it completely disappeared.

Accelerator could only stand in awe as he watched the man laugh and sway crazily. There was only one d-psh-t in the world he knew that could do that, so how the hell is this b-st-rd doing the same thing?!

"You…" Accelerator muttered, gripping his own hands.

"JUST WHO THE F-CK ARE YOU?!"

* * *

"What the- I could've sworn that I left them right here…"

Mikoto muttered to herself as she stood in front of the bench where Last Order and Ave should've been, holding a paper bag holding a new dress inside. She looked around, and felt like something was amiss. Last Order would never leave like that, she would call her or text her if something was wrong.

Oh, that's right. Her phone broke.

Ave had broken her phone, accidentally.

Ave spilled ice cream on Last Order, accidentally.

Now, incidentally, they were both gone.

Mikoto's eyes widened in realization.

"OH CRAP!" She shouted, dropping the paper bag on the bench and running across the park, in hope of searching for her sister. She looked everywhere, but alas, they were nowhere to be found.

'Oh god, I sure hope what I'm thinking is wrong!' she thought as she kept on running. 'Ugh! But if I am right, then that Ave is one hell of a tricky b-st-rd! I don't know what he wants, but he intentionally kept us apart! That little- UGH! I AM GOING TO KILL HIM!'

Just as she blindly kept running around, someone had bumped into her, she muttered an apology, but was too paranoid to even look at the person. Before she ran off again, a hand grabbed hers.

"Onee-sama? Misaka Misaka asks?"

A voice similar to hers asked. Mikoto turned her head and saw Misaka 10032, better known as Imouto, standing behind her.

"Imouto! What are you doing here? And…you seem…bigger from what I remember…"

"Onee-sama, if you are referring to Misaka's physical attributes, please look at yourself first. This Misaka isn't the only one who has changed."

Imouto answered in her usual emotionless demeanour. Mikoto did as she said and examined her own body.

"WOW"

Were the only words she could utter out. She had grown! Her chest was…definitely a huge step up, her hair was longer than what she remembered, with it nearly reaching the end of her back. She was also taller than what she thought she was a few seconds ago.

"If Onee-sama is done with her self-appraisal mantra, we should move. Misaka says as she notices your interest in your own body. Misaka fears that Onee-sama might turn into a pervert for herself."

"OI!" Mikoto said blushing furiously. "What the hell are you talking about?! Ugh…Never mind that! Where are we going?"

"To where Misaka 20001 is. Misaka is afraid that that child is in danger. Misaka says with a hint of worry."

"Where are they?"

"Near the park where Onee-sama had her party with her friends and the Saviour. Misaka answers directly."

"Alright then! No time to waste!"

She said grabbing Imouto by her arm and dragging her through the park once more, until they finally reached the said place. Mikoto looked around, but all she saw was trees and nothing more.

"Imouto, I thought they were supposed to be here!"

"They are here Onee-sama. Misaka answers. Misaka is afraid that the perpetrator has created his own Imaginary district in this place, explaining their physical absence, Misaka explains."

Mikoto thought for a second, but Imouto interrupted her.

"With this being an Imaginary District, maybe the Network will be able to-"

"No." Mikoto said stopping her, hands clenched into a fist.

"What are you implying Onee-sama? Misaka asks as she questions the Original's behavior."

Imouto asked. Mikoto hesitated for a moment, before speaking up.

"Look Imouto, I can't explain it to you, because then I'd be dragging you into something deeper than Academy City's darkness. But all I can say is that you have to trust me on this one. I'm going to need you to close your eyes, and just leave. This situation is going to be dangerous, and I don't want you to get hurt. So please-"

"Misaka knows about Onee-sama's condition. Misaka states bluntly."

Mikoto stopped for a moment, staring wide eyed at her sister.

"Misaka knows everything Onee-sama. Misaka went through your records one time, while the Doctor was not looking. Misaka found out about your condition…and..and… Forgive me, Onee-sama. But this Misaka is unable to complete her sentence."

Imouto said using her right arm to hold her left arm, while her gaze was directed at the grass. Mikoto left out a sigh.

"And I'm guessing you'll be using that to black mail me then?" she said in her happy tone, surprising Imouto.

"Really, Imouto. You can be such a sadist at times… Black mailing your sister like that…"

"It is not Misaka's fault that Onee-sama is so careless. But regardless, this Misaka will not let Onee-sama step into trouble alone. The Saviour is waiting for you, Misaka reminds."

Mikoto blushed but quickly shook her head.

"Alright fine, but when it gets too dangerous, I want you to take Last Order and run okay? I need you to promise me that Imouto." She said looking seriously at her, to which her sister only nodded. She smiled, before turning her back against her and closing her eyes.

* * *

"Mikoto? Are you are about this?"

Cielo asked as both of them stood in a vast white space, which they usually referred to as an Angel's Essence Scape. Mikoto and Cielo stood face to face, wearing identical white dresses which resembled those worn by Greek gods and goddesses.

"I have to save my sister Cielo-san."

Mikoto answered sadly, as her face was hidden behind her bangs. Cielo looked at her worriedly.

"Mikoto, I don't need to remind you this. You know exactly what happens when you use our powers. Especially now! Just look at you! Running is already much of a chore! What more could-"

"PLEASE!" Mikoto begged stopping Cielo's worried rant. "Please…Cielo-san…I need to save my sister…I really need to save her."

"No matter what?"

"No matter what."

Mikoto reassured. Cielo sighed, before taking a few steps forward, so they would be about an inch apart. She slowly raised her hand to chest level, waiting for Mikoto to do the same.

"You already know what to do Mikoto."

"Yes, I know. I just…need to breathe…"

Mikoto answered, taking another deep breath, before raising her hand, so that their palms would be touching each other, between their bodies. A bright pure white light suddenly appeared out of nowhere, seemingly engulfing them.

"Mikoto…there's still time… we can do something other than this…"

Cielo said, still not giving up on her. Mikoto looked up and smiled sadly at her, all radiance gone from her face, with only pain and worry evident.

"I'm sorry Cielo-san…but for me…there's no more tuning back."

She said as the light was too blinding to see. Knowing this as their cue, both of them spoke at the same time.

"Angel's wings: Release."

And soon, the world was filled with nothing but a blinding radiance.

* * *

"Stiyl, is everything ready now?"

Laura Stewart asked as she sat on a couch, a phone in her hand.

"Almost... I've gathered enough magicians to cast the spell to bring us to that damned city again... But it's taking them quite a while to meditate."

Came Stiyl's voice from the other side of the call. Laura twirled her hair around.

"Oh? Is that so? Then I guess I should probably snap that kid out of his little melancholy now huh?"

"Archbishop... What did you do this time?" He asked accusingly.

"Nothing~ I just made him share a bit of his love life history to me is all~"

"You do realize that that's just it. You made him talk about something he didn't want to. Don't be surprised if her suddenly runs away again."

"Really Stiyl... You're too uptight! I just made him release a bit of stress from his mind..."

Laura mused, after a few seconds, Stiyl hasn't replied.

"Stiyl? Hello?"

"Sorry about that. The magicians are ready. All that's left is to destroy the barrier around us..."

"See? I do need to snap Kamijou-kun out of it."

"Really...How can you act so much like a kid, even in a situation like this?"

"Being child-like is a sign of innocence you know~ Some thing that the lord wanted us to have."

"And is something that humans lose day by day."

He answered back solemnly.

"I'm going to call Kamijou-kun right now."

"You're avoiding the topic."

"Maybe yes, maybe no. You'll never really know Stiyl."

"What's the point of our conversation again?"

"I dont know. You started it. Oh, hold on- the magicians say they noticed something..."

"Oh alright~"

Laura said as she patiently waited for Stiyl's voice to come back on. After a few seconds, she heard foot steps behind her, and she immediately recognized them. without turning back, she said,

"Well, why are you here Kamijou-kun?"

"I need to talk to you."

He said bluntly. Laura steered her body so that she could face him. His face was a mess really. He looked like he was hung over and he just finished crying over the death of a cat.

"What is it?"

"About Mikoto... do you think she ever really was happy? Even before I was her lover? Even as I was just her friend?"

"And you're asking me because?"

"You're the only awake woman in this entire house right now."

"Fair enough" Laura laughed at his attempt to ironic, but his worry was clearly heard. "Let me ask you that, do you think Misaka-chan WAS happy?"

"She said she was but-"

"Then believe her Kamijou-kun. that's all you need to do. Relationships are based off mutual trust correct? Then you need to trust her and believe in her words."

"Where the hell do you get your answers from? You're a freaking Archbishop! As in religious person!"

"Yes, but I'm not painfully stupid unlike you, who can't even answer a simple question like that..."

"Laura Stewart if that was that easy to answer then I would've-"

"LAURA STEWART!"

Stiyl's voice interrupted Touma. Both occupants of the room turned to the phone and listened closely.

"Yes?"

"It has already begun... Misaka Mikoto has done it..."

"Sigh, we'll leave right this very moment. Meet us in two minutes."

She said hanging up. Laura stood up and was about to walk out, until Touma stopped her.

"OI! What was that all about? What did Mikoto do?!"

He asked. Laura looked at him seriously, making him gulp.

"Sorry to say this Kamijou-kun, but Misaka-chan hs done it."

"DONE WHAT?!"

"She opened the gate to hell."

Laura answered shortly, stopping Touma in his tracks.

**-chapter end-**

**Hey, I know it's short... I dont have much of a reason for that... my back just really hurts and my head is utterly spinning... i know i could probably update this some other time, but who knows when that'll be right?**

**seriously, this is the first time this happened...i mean...my head is like...whiiwhoowhiiwhoo... ambulance thingy... im not even sure if what im typing matches what im saying...**

**why am i even typing it in the first place? nah... i dunno... wha...what was I saying again?**

**UGH, never mind. I'm gonna sleep now...**

**anyways, I hope it wasnt bad or something! please review if you will! I hope you enjoyed! till next time! Ja-ne!**

**next chap: TOUMA AND MIKOTO FINALLY MEET AGAIN! YAY!**

**-_- Oh, so now I have the energy...**


	23. Accepting one's fate

**Okay, so now I'm perfectly fine again! Yeah, after reading the newest chapter of TAKNR manga, the part where Touma finally sees Mikoto, I was healed! Ah~ the things anime does to me…**

**Oh yeah, just for reference, Accelerator has already flipped on his switch okay? I think I omitted that part in the last chapter…**

**Anyway, since the last one was so short, I made this one really special! And also, guys, I don't really pay much attention to the number of reviews (I care most about the content), so when Ne-chan, my friend who is one of the very few people who knows that I write stories, told me to check the numbers, I was confused, But I listened to her advice.**

**OH MY- 200… Guys, this story has officially reached 200! **

**I don't know if that's much or whatever, but to me it is! Thank you, thank you so much! Okay, enough of my rants, I've got one hell of a chapter to finish…**

**See ya later! Enjoy!**

Chapter 23

"What do you mean Mikoto opened the gates to hell?!"

Touma shouted, obviously confused. Laura Stewart just watched as Touma ruffled his hair and did his best to think straight.

"As I said, she opened the gates to hell. As simple as that."

"THERE'S NOTHING SIMPLE ABOUT THAT!"

He shouted again, shaking his head after a few seconds of interval.

"Kamijou-kun, I understand your confusion right now, but I'm afraid we don't have the luxury of time to cater to your baby-like whining. So if you want to save Misaka-chan, then please man up and keep your ranting to yourself for now."

She said in a serious and seemingly panicked tone, which was way out of character. Touma managed to keep his mouth shut for about 5 seconds, until Josephine suddenly appeared before them.

"Josephine?" He asked in surprise "You can teleport?"

"It isn't teleportation Master, its simple dimensional distortion. I don't have time to explain it to you, so please keep questions to yourself right now."

She asked in a cold tone. Touma's face dropped.

'_What the hell? At least try to at nice… You guys said practically the same thing…'_

He thought depressed.

"Josephine, has Stiyl explained things to you?" Laura asked.

"I do not need an explanation Archbishop. Please do not forget that I am the head of the Pillars of the gates of Heaven. I felt the disturbing aura a few minutes ago."

"Very good. Take us to where all the others are."

Laura said walking over to her, until Touma remembered something.

"Wait! What about In-"

"I'm already here Touma."

Index said, still rubbing sleep from her eyes as she stood beside Touma. Laura smiled and patted her head.

"What woke you up? Normally, you would've slept for hours…"

"Touma kept on shouting and shouting, then I felt something weird… I'm guessing short-hair has done it right?"

"Yes, and now we need to go, if we still want to stop this world from falling into ruin."

"Seriously, why does everyone know what's happening except from me… Such Misfortune.."

Touma mumbled, seemingly feeling out of place. The three girls turned to glare at him, making him shudder. Josephine just sighed as she chanted her spell. A bright yellowish light came over them, and soon enough, they were standing in the middle of a church with extremely high ceilings and expensive looking statues and fixtures.

Everyone inside bowed in the presence of Laura, seeing as she was the Archbishop, but one figure remained standing and walked over to them.

"We're all set to go; all that's left is for him to do his job right."

Stiyl said, pointing to Touma. Making the boy tilt his head and point a finger to himself.

"Me?" He asked. Stiyl grunted, before blowing on his cigarette.

"Yes you, you idiot. You need to break the barrier stopping any form of energy surrounding us."

"And what makes you think I can do that?! Josephine herself said so! My Imagine Breaker isn't strong enough to-"

"Then why are you here?" Stiyl asked. "Why are you here right now? Miers' magic is based off something supernatural; shouldn't your Imagine Breaker dispel it?"

"Well yeah… Now that you mention it…"

"It's because of Reality Bender Touma." Index said, breaking the silence in the church.

"The Reality Bender?"

"Index, we don't have much time, so can you please give him an overview of the situation? Do it as quickly as possible." Laura demanded. Index nodded, and tuned to Touma, who was weirded out by the seriousness everyone had.

"The Reality Bender allows you to…well, bend reality itself right? You know that already right Touma?" she asked, and Touma could only nod. "Your Imagine Breaker, which dispels any form of power, is a reality. It is part of the reality in this world, so according to will, you managed to alter it, with the help of Reality Bender."

"But I didn't even think of it like that…"

"Desires are often not vocalized or externalized Touma. Think of your Reality Bender as you. It knows exactly what you want, and it uses it s powers according to that. Now, we need you to destroy the barrier. Just think of it this way, short-hair is in danger, and only you can save her. But to do that, you need to break the barrier, do you understand?"

Touma, who now had swirls for eyes, tried his best to understand the gravity of the situation.

"I'm sorry for asking this, but I really don't get why all of you are in such urgency right now… "

He asked. Touma noticed their hesitation to answer. He took note of all the glances and looks exchanged by the members of Necessarius. Something was off.

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

He asked again. He was staring to get worried. Worried looks could clearly be seen, as the awkward tense of silent atmosphere thickened, almost making it unbearable.

"What you're doing won't make me stop questioning you guys. If you have something to say the please just spill it out!"

He shouted, his voice echoing through the high walls of the church. After a few seconds of deafening silence, Josephine walked over to him.

"About Mistress Mikoto… it is something you are better off not knowing Master Kamijou."

She said in a low voice. Touma clenched his fists.

"What do you mean Josephine?"

"From what I understand, Mistress Mikoto…she has been trying hard not to let any of you find out about the truth. But judging from the circumstances, all I can say is this. If we don't make a move fast, Mistress Mikoto may lose everything again…"

Touma was nearly losing it. First, no one tells him anything, and now, they tell him THIS?! What the hell was wrong with the world?! His thoughts were cut off, when Josephine spoke again.

"…and we may just end up losing her entirely…"

She said, as she brought both of her hands to her chest. Touma's world froze. He may have been an idiot, but he definitely understood what she meant.

And he would not allow it anymore.

It happened once, it happened twice, and like hell he'd let it happen thrice.

With gritted teeth and clenched fists, Touma said,

"What am I supposed to do?"

He asked simply, Josephine looked at him. Her face displaying confusion.

"I know that none of you will tell me anything more. So let's get this over with, save Mikoto and end this crap. Then I'll talk to her about this." He said, finally looking forward, with a determined yet pained face.

"Now, tell me how I'm supposed to do this."

"Since this is a large caliber spell, simply wishing for it to work may not be enough. I know what I will be asking may be impossible, but we need you to ask the Dragon King for help. If he tries to rampage his way out, then just use the Reality Bender on him. That should work well enough."

Laura explained. Touma could only nod as he closed his eyes and breathed. Slowly, he felt…a weird sense of nostalgia taking over him, as his time was forced into a stand still. He could feel his body falling over, but could not do anything to stop it.

"Good luck, Kamijou Touma.."

Stiyl's voice was the last thing he heard as his world was drowned in darkness.

* * *

"_**So you came after all, Kamijou Touma."**_

The Dragon King's voice resounded in the hell of its Personal reality. Touma stood above the seemingly endless sea of blood and lava, looking straight at the red eyes of the humungous being in front of him.

"I need you to help me break the barrier." He said rather bluntly.

"_**This is rare. You? Asking me for a favor?"**_

"F-CK OFF! Just help me already!"

"_**Now this really is a first. You cursed, it was quite contemptuous too."**_

"SHUT UP!" Touma shouted. "I'm sick and tired of everyone telling me indifferent lies! I'm sick of being kept in the dark! How the hell do they expect me to help when I don't know anything that's going on?! How am I supposed to do anything for her? How can I save her? When I don't know what to save her from? Somebody…please…please just tell me…"

Touma pleaded. The Dragon King was kept silent.

"I don't really want to force them to tell me, but seeing their faces like that, all contorted in obvious worry and pity, HOW CAN I NOT WORRY? How can I not get confused? I've always helped people without much reason, but this time…I just…I just…"

"_**Humans…"**_ the Dragon King said, after a while of watching Touma. _**"Humans…or rather…You are quite the interesting one…"**_

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"_**All this talk about saving, protecting and helping. You've become quite the narcissist."**_

"WHY YOU-"

"_**Admit the truth, you think that you're the only one who can stop this entire mess don't you? You think that you are the only one with the power to save that girl and the entire world. You've gotten quite full of yourself."**_

The Dragon King mused, Touma glared at it, as his rage started to boil.

"What do you know?!"

"_**Oh I know a lot, Kamijou Touma. A lot more than you'll ever learn in your lifetime. But I'm afraid that…you have one thing that I can never have or learn. Let me ask you another question. A question that will decide whether I will help you or not."**_

"Bring it."

"_**What is your will to fight? What is it that pushes you to struggle forward in this messed up world? Answer me."**_

Touma stopped to think about it. He had to think clearly, one wrong move and Mikoto might be dead the next time they meet, and he wouldn't allow that.

'_Was it my will to protect the world? To create a world where everyone can smile? Where everyone can live peacefully? What pushes me to move forward? What is it that I want to achieve?'_

He thought, but the answers still didn't satisfy him.

'_Is it Mikoto? Is Mikoto my reason for doing all that I did? Is it really just her?'_

He asked himself as a certain memory of nearly 3 years ago suddenly came flashing in his mind.

* * *

Both of them were lying on the grass, admiring the beauty of the sunset in Academy City. Touma and Mikoto were currently in their secret little place, behind the greeneries in the park, where she had celebrated her birthday before.

He was enjoying the warmth of her body, lying beside his, as his hands played with her long hazel locks, until she asked him a rather unreasonable question.

"Ne, Touma?" Mikoto asked as she looked up to him.

"Mmm?" He mumbled. He didn't want to say anything really. He just wanted to enjoy their moment of silence and affection.

"Why do you risk your life so damn much?"

"Ha? Where'd that come from? I haven't been in a fight for nearly a year you know!"

"I didn't say you got into one you idiot!" she said, sending a bit of electricity to his sides, making him yelp. "I'm just asking you for a reason."

"Well…I don't have a reason really…"

"That answer only works for pre-schoolers you idiot!" she said irately, this time head butting his ribcage.

"OUCH! Seriously! How many times are you going to hit me?" He complained.

"I won't hit you if you answer my question!"

"I did answer your question…"

"GIVE ME A SATISFYING ANSWER DAMN IT!"

She said, holding onto his left arm, and shocking it with probably a hundred volts. She didn't want her new boyfriend to die after all…

"MIKOTO!"

"Answer me properly, and I'll stop." She said sitting up. Touma scratched his head as he sat up as well, too bad for their moment.

"Why are you even asking me that Mikoto?"

"I'm just curious… as to why you risked your life for this world so many times, like during the angel incident…"

"Well, that one…that one was for you. During that time, all I ever wanted was to see your smile again. I wanted you to live in this world, happily, with all your friends and the ones that you love."

His words made Mikoto blush, but she just looked down at the grass sadly.

"Is…is that so?" she muttered.

"Hey, did I say something wrong? Did I upset you or something?"

"Well no… not really…" she said forcing a smile. "It's just…how do I say this… Oh, it's just that I don't want you to do those kinds of things for my sake."

"What?"

He asked in confusion. Mikoto looked at him, before looking at the grass, the looking up to the sky where the stars slowly appeared one by one.

"Mikoto, what do you mean by that?"

He asked again, hoping to get an answer from her. Mikoto sighed, but still kept her gaze on the stars and the darkening sky.

"I don't…I don't want you to do it anymore… If you risk your life that much, then don't do it for just one person. Do it for the sake of the entire world. The wounds you carry aren't just for me. It's for every single living thing on this planet."

She said as she gazed sadly at the heavens above. Touma didn't get it. What was she trying to say? What was she playing at? He was about to ask her why, until she herself answered it.

"Mainly, it's because I don't want you to live for something so temporary."

She said looking at him with a smile. A smile that somehow did not reach her eyes. Lingering on her lips as if it was a mere ruse for show.

"You were going to ask me why I said that right? There's your answer." She said with a small giggle as she went back to stargazing.

"You sure know me huh?" Touma asked, trying to put off the tense atmosphere that came from Mikoto's statement. "But Mikoto, why did you call yourself temporary?"

"It's because I am." She answered sadly once more. "I'm just a girl Touma. There are like, I don't know, maybe 3 or 4 billion females out there. A whole lot, who are prettier, nicer, more lady-like than me. I'm just temporary. What we have may be temporary, so I'll treasure it, but I don't want you to waste all your efforts on something that's temporary."

Touma could only nod, as he watched her smile, and once again, look up to the stars, like it was the most fascinating thing she had ever seen. Touma was left to wonder. Would what they have really be lost so easily? Could he change the will of his actions from protecting her, to protecting the world?

Her smile. Her sentiment. Her entirety as Misaka Mikoto.

No… who was he kidding? Of course they wouldn't be brought apart. But he could not bring himself to utter those words.

"I can't change my reason to fight Mikoto…" He abruptly said aloud, without much thinking, making her look at him with a worried face.

"I can't change it, but I will say this to you now. The reason I fight is for you, and for the world. I fight to protect this world that has brought you and me together Mikoto, that's my answer."

He said with a determined face. A look that practically shouted that he would not back down.

A smile crept onto her lips, as she muttered thanks before snuggling her head to his shoulder. An act which surprised him yet pleased him at the same time.

_I want to protect your smile._

_That's all I want Mikoto…_

* * *

"2 minutes, 24 seconds and approximately 18...no 20 milliseconds."

Josephine said as the whole church of Necessarius gathered in a circle. They were currently counting the time ever since Touma passed out, or more likely, ever since he entered the Personal Reality he shared with the Dragon King.

"Uuu….I hope Touma's alright…"

Index muttered nervously. Stiyl walked over to her and patted her head.

"He'll be fine Index, this is Kamijou Touma were talking about. The one that was meant to surpass God."

"Yeah, I guess…"

"Fretting will only make things worse Index." Laura said staring at Touma's sleeping figure. "So just have faith in him. He hasn't broken any promise to you now has he?"

"Yeah, he hasn't!" she said with a smile.

"2 minutes, 37 seconds and counting… It doesn't usually take this long…"

Josephine said again as she looked at him worriedly.

"Ne, Josephine, how can you even tell time like that? You're not wearing a watch or anything!" Index commented.

"Oh that? I don't know how to explain it really, I ju-"

Josephine's eyes darkened, almost seeming lifeless. She started mumbling a language of her own as everyone was left to stare at her.

"Well, it seems like Kamijou-kun succeeded in his mission." Laura said.

"Ha? What does this have anything to do with Touma?" Index asked.

"Josephine Miers set herself on timer. Once the trigger is activated, she will recite the spell that can transport us. The trigger is the breaking of the barrier." Stiyl explained.

All of them could only watch in awe as streams of whites and blues started circling around them, before completely enveloping them in light.

* * *

"JUST WHO THE F-CK ARE YOU?"

Accelerator shouted, as Ave manically laughed, swaying side to side after seemingly using a supposed Imagine Breaker.

"Pretty neat huh~? I don't know how, but I seem to have acquired a unique ability~"

"Like hell you just acquired that?! That's the damned ability of that f-ck-ng hero!"

Accelerator shouted back. A grim smile slowly made its way to Ave's face as he swayed in his steps again.

"Oh~? Does that mean we're equals right now? Me and that worthless trash~?"

"Oy, frankly, you can call him whatever you want, I don't give a sh-t about that, but that worthless piece of sh-t is my prey you understand? Don't go f-ck-ng off with him, if you don't want your head to get chucked off that f-cking body of yours."

"OOH~! Mister Number one's a pedo and wants a yaoi love story!"

"SHUT THE F-CK-NG HELL UP YOU PATHETIC B-ST-RD!"

Accelerator shouted again, this time, completely out of patience. He started sending out different vectors towards Ave, but with a single touch of his hands, all of them were as good as nothing. Like a gentle breeze gently blowing through his face.

"Is that all you've got? If you don't amuse me, I'll have to find…other entertainments…"

Ave mocked, obviously referring to Last Order, whose shoulders were shuddering from fear. Accelerator glared at him, before leaping backwards, touching a nearby bench and sent it plummeting towards him. Without much to consider, Ave touched it, right as it came to his face, stopping it, and it shattered into pieces from the initial force.

"Really? Don't you think this is getting a bit boring~?"

Ave mused, to his surprise, Accelerator smiled.

"Don't get cocky, sh-tty b-st-rd."

He said with an evil smirk. Ave tilted his head to the side in wonder. He was about to ask him what he meant, until he felt a stabbing pain in his back. One after another, they came right at him, each time more hurtful than the previous.

He slowly tuned his head and tried to see his back. He was greeted with huge wooden splinters, accompanied with a few metal ones, striking through his back like thorns on a rose. Blood oozed from the holes they had created.

"I don't give a sh-t if you can null my powers. I can change any kind of vector you d-psh-t. So all I had to do was change the direction of the shards. I don't give a f-ck if you call it dirty tricks. I live in the dirty dark side you son of a b-tch."

Accelerator said proudly. He was expecting him to stumble, watch him as he wagged his ass off, screaming in pain like a little girl. But he didn't. Ave just stood there, watching the blood ooze from his back.

"Are you insane you d-psh-t? Where's the petty screaming huh?!"

He asked/shouted. Ave just looked at him with a blank face, before looking back to his…well, back. Accelerator stared at him, wondering what was happening. He suddenly sensed danger coming at him from all angles. He immediately activated simultaneous barriers to protect him from what was targeting him.

To add further to his surprise, the things were wooden stakes and splinters, ones with blood dripping from its sharp ends.

Accelerator was too busy fending off the spikes that he didn't notice Ave dashing towards him.

"Hi~ Can I play with little Sai-chan over there?" Accelerator's eyes widened upon realizing their close proximity. "Too bad~ I don't care what you say~ Not even your powers can stop this. So stay still."

He said planting his knee on the albino's stomach, making him growl in pain as he was tossed back. Accelerator tried to stand, but for some reason, he couldn't. it was as if gravity was forcing him down. He couldn't do anything but watch as Ave slowly walked towards Last Order, who was completely unaware of what was happening. Accelerator mustered up all the strength he had left.

"LAST ORDER! RUN!"

He shouted. Last Order, alarmed by his voice, suddenly stood up and took of her blindfold, her eyes widening at the scene.

"Acce-"

"RUN YOU SH-TTY BRAT!"

He shouted again, but the gravity pushed him down harder, making him grunt as the ground beneath him cracked.

"Tsk tsk tsk" Ave gagged "Bad Accel-san~! You're not supposed to ruin my fun!"

Last Order was stuck in her place, she wanted to run, like he had told her to, but fear paralyzed her, and besides! She couldn't just leave him!

"Now then, Sai-chan?" Ave asked turning eerily to Last Order who just twitched nervously."Behave okay? If you don't want to end up like Accel-san over here~"

He said stepping forward in cascading steps. Last Order's knees felt weak as they unwillingly gave up, letting the rest of her body fall to the ground. She was scared. But she was paralyzed to the point that she couldn't even cry anymore. She really though it was the end, until a bright white light enveloped their surroundings.

"Step away from my sister you b-st-rd."

A menacing female voice said. All heads turned to the side.

"ONEE-CHAN!" Last Order screamed happily.

Mikoto stood, as she was surrounded by white seraph-like wings of light. Her eyes gleamed dangerously, as there were sparks of blue literally swirling inside them. Imouto stoof a few meters behind her, staring white eyed at her older sister.

"Mikoto, nice of you to join us." Ave said happily. "Accelerator-san over there go tired of waiting, so now he's just lying around. I was just about to play with your little sis-"

A white stream of light, with blue sparks circulating around them, blew past his line of vision, gashing the side of his head.

"I don't give a sh-t whether you are Cielo-san's fiancé or what. But I will never ever forgive you, Aviaries Veolia Anderwick."

"Too bad, we'll end up spending eternity together in hell I'm afraid."

"Sorry. But you're gonna have to spend that eternity by yourself!"

Mikoto shouted as she ran straight for him, creating a sword out of iron dust and light from her wings, forming a beautiful black and white blade that whirred rather dangerously. She slashed it repeatedly at him, hoping to cut off his head, or incapacitate him or cit his arms off at the very least. But he just dodged them, but not with much ease.

"You sort of have Cielo's eyes…"

He said dreamily, as he side stepped, standing beside Mikoto as she swing her sword. He took her chin and tilted her head towards his, keeping it at a dangerous proximity.

"You really are beautiful."

"DIE."

Mikoto answered, swinging her sword again, this time it cut off a few strands of his hair, but he managed to step back.

"Well you certainly don't have Cielo's grace." Ave remarked. "She would never try to cut off the head of the one that she loves."

"And who the hell says that you're the one I love?"

"Your denial makes it obvious, but I like it..No, I love it." He said licking his lips in a disgusting manner. They started exchanging attacks every now and then. Noting that they were busy, Imouto hurried over to Accelerator, who could now freely move.

"Damn b-st-rd… Forgetting all about me just because of some f-ck-ng b-tch."

"Are you alright? Misaka asks the number one." Imouto asked as she sat down beside him.

"Is that…Is she really the third rate?"

"Surprisingly, yes. That is Onee-sama. Misaka answers as she notices the awe in your voice."

"The third rate's gotten better at this." He said with an evil smile. "She might just be a worthy opponent someday."

"You're upset because Onee-sama can seemingly defeat an opponent you could not, is Misaka right number one? Misaka asks again."

"Tch. Shut up you f-ck-ng sister of that b-tch."

Accelerator said grumpily. He then felt something clutch his sides. Both Imouto and him looked at whatever it was and noticed that Last Order had ran to them, and had hugged Accelerator.

"Oi, damn brat. Let go already."

He demanded, but made no action. He felt something seeping his shirt, and without much though, her knew what it was. Accelerator sighed, before placing his hand on her back.

"Stop crying, sh-tty brat."

"Misaka…Misaka…was…was…scared…Misaka Mi..saka says in tears…"

"Yeah, I can f-ck-ng see that. So stop it."

* * *

"They're putting up quite the show don't you agree?" Ave asked as Mikoto stood opposite of him, a few inches in distance. "Want to go and join them?"

"I would, but I still have some trash to take out."

"Really… no subtlety at all.." He deadpanned with a shrug. Mikoto dropped her hands from her fighting stance and looked at him.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Isn't it obvious enough? It's for my own selfish reasons."

"If this is about Cielo-san, she wants you to stop it right now!"

"How would you know what she wants? Misaka Mikoto? Oh yes, I forgot… You did something quite selfish too…" He said with a smug look playing on his face. Mikoto glared at him, gripping her hands to a fist.

"Just so you could save your sister…because you weren't strong enough to save her yourself, you opened the gate to hell…" Mikoto twitched in his words. "You activated Cielo's powers."

"Yeah so what? I'm willing to take responsibility for it."

"Oh? Really? But can you take it? Can you take the pressure of responsibility from letting an angel's full power run amok in the human world? An angel it may be, but it's just as dangerous as opening the gates of hell. With every freed pillar, the gate opens little by little. Until it becomes big enough for the big wigs to come.."

"I'll kill you before that happens."

"You can't kill me Misaka Mikoto." He answered confidently.

"And why?"

Mikoto asked. Ave only smiled, before he suddenly disappeared. Mikoto thrashed her body all around, looking for him. Until she turned around and came face to face with the b-st-rd.

"Because I'll kill you first."

He whispered into her ear. Mikoto shuddered from the feeling of his breath on her skin. It disturbed her so much, that she had momentarily forgotten she was in a fight.

Ave grabbed her hand, and twirled her around, pressing her back to his body before humming a low tune and moving his body, along with hers to it. Mikoto struggled to free herself from his grasp, but she was no match for him.

"Shh…Calm down, it's okay it's okay…" He repeated into her ear like a mantra, which disgusted her to no end.

"Just a little while more Cielo…Just a little while more and you'll be free…" He said, bringing his face closer to hers in a rather intimate matter. "Just a little more and the problem named Misaka Mikoto will be gone for good…"

"Then let me break that illusion of yours!"

A voice shouted with utter conviction. Mikoto felt a hand grasp hers as she was pulled away from Ave's body. An arm came intruding on her line of vision, meeting with Ave's shocked face, sending him tumbling a few feet in front of them.

"TRY TOUCHING HER AGAIN AND YOU'RE DEAD!"

A voice shouted angrily, its sound ringing painfully in her ears, but even so, she felt safe, warm, loved, protected.

Mikoto looked up to her savior, knowing that it was a certain spiky haired idiot. She was about to utter his name, until she felt something grasping her soul away from her body.

'_No..Not now! Please not now!'_ she begged, but all was futile. And without her knowing why, her mouth moved on its own, speaking her voice in a cold manner saying,

"Who are you?"

She saw the look of shock and dread fall upon the face of the young man behind her, of her savior. But she could do nothing but watch.

'_I'm sorry…I'm so sorry Touma…'_ she said as all life had left her being.

And with that, Misaka Mikoto, the Railgun, has been believed to be gone. She was gone, and was never to return

**-chapter end-**

**Okay, so…that's their reunion… yeah I'm evil, I know! But it's just because I'm seriously pissed at Touma. I mean, he was sort of hesitating to help Mikoto in the latest chapter of TAKNR manga, and he ran away from her AGAIN in NT 7 of the LN of TAMNI. I read the 'What causes a spark' by 61wisampa and I totally agree with her! Touma is an utter idiot not to notice Mikoto! Trust me, I'm KamiKoto all the way, but the way he treats Mikoto is just unfair. Mikoto does her best to make him feel that he will always have her by his side, but he just brushes her off so easily! I don't care if it's to protect her, he's disregarding her feelings! And to a girl, that is the worst thing you could do (excluding getting you pregnant then running away –hey, it happens okay?) **

**Okay, I'm running amok with my Mikoto fanaticism again. I want to see an animated version of Thor though. From descriptions, he's worlds ahead of Touma in terms of looks and gentlemanliness…**

**I hope I didn't offend anyone, but seriously, Touma needs to pay more attention to the girls around him. If there are kids who watch or read TAMNI, they might think that it's cool to do that to girls…**

**What the hell am I saying anyway? BUT STILL! I'M TOUMA ALL THE WAY!**

**Ahahaha….I'm weird.**

**Well, I hope you enjoyed! Thank you very much for reading and supporting the entire FYF series! Please leave a review! Till next time! Thanks! Ja!**

**Note: I just noticed how ironic it is that I talk about love, disregard for emotions, and pregnancy when I know nothing of it…**


	24. And with this we start AGAIN

**Chapter 24 –AND WITH THIS, WE START **_**AGAIN**_

"Just a little while more Cielo…Just a little while more and you'll be free…" He said, bringing his face closer to hers in a rather intimate matter. "Just a little more and the problem named Misaka Mikoto will be gone for good…"

"Then let me break that illusion of yours!"

A voice shouted with utter conviction. Mikoto felt a hand grasp hers as she was pulled away from Ave's body. An arm came intruding on her line of vision, meeting with Ave's shocked face, sending him tumbling a few feet in front of them.

"TRY TOUCHING HER AGAIN AND YOU'RE DEAD!"

A voice shouted angrily, its sound ringing painfully in her ears, but even so, she felt safe, warm, loved, protected.

Mikoto looked up to her savior, knowing that it was a certain spiky haired idiot. She was about to utter his name, until she felt something grasping her soul away from her body.

'_No..Not now! Please not now!'_ she begged, but all was futile. And without her knowing why, her mouth moved on its own, speaking her voice in a cold manner saying,

"Who are you?"

She saw the look of shock and dread fall upon the face of the young man behind her, of her savior. But she could do nothing but watch.

'_I'm sorry…I'm so sorry Touma…'_ she said as all life had left her being.

And with that, Misaka Mikoto, the Railgun, has been believed to be gone. She was gone, and was never to return.

Touma could only stare at Mikoto after she uttered her words. Her eyes stared back at him, but no longer with the gentle warmth that she had. It didn't feel like she was mad at him, it just felt like…she felt lifeless. Like the girl standing before him was not HIS Mikoto.

"What are you saying Mikoto?"

He said as he tried to laugh, but it ended up as being breaks of nervous sounds. His left hand held onto her left arm as her back was pressed to his body. She was looking up at him, as he looked down at her. In normal cases, either Mikoto blushed and stuttered adorably, or she would've tried to fry him already from some reason again.

But no.

She wasn't doing anything. She just stared back at him emotionlessly.

"Mikoto, what are you saying? It's me. Kamijou Touma! Mikoto, please don't joke around like this. It's not funny." He tried again, expecting a laugh from her and saying _'Aww~ Too bad I didn't get ya! But don't you worry! I'm just kidding!~'_ He didn't care if it was wishful thinking. He knew something was wrong, but there was nothing wrong with hoping right?

It was then that he noticed it.

The reason Mikoto's eyes seemed cold and distant was because they were no longer the beautiful hazels he loved.

It was a sparking and electrifying shade of blue.

Her hair. It also wasn't of the color he was used to. It seemed bleached. As it turned into platinum blonde. It was beautiful, but it wasn't her.

As much as he hated to ask this question, he had to get it out.

"Who…who are you?"

Before the Mikoto, or rather, the girl in front of him could answer, they heard loud fits of coughing. They both turned their heads and saw Ave, blood on dripping from his nose, trying to sit up.

"You busted up his nose pretty good damned hero. But I thought you were gonna break his entire f-ck-ng jaw?"

Accelerator commented, before Laura tapped his head lightly.

"We don't have time for jokes, this isn't the right atmosphere for it." she said sternly.

"The hell you're doing you f-ck-ng b-tch?"

Accelerator retorted, but momentarily stopped when a green beam came into contact with the barrier protecting his body.

"Aw~" A voice cooed. Accelerator clicked his tongue upon realizing the owner of the voice. "Too bad~ I was aiming right for your f-ck-ng brain, f-ck-ng number one." It added.

"Well too bad b-tch. Your aim is worse than the third rate. Still as inferior as usual I see, f-ck-d up fourth rate." He answered looking back. Mugino Shizuri, the Meltdowner, the 4th strongest level 5 in the city glared at him. She wore her usual lengthy light purple blouse over some shorts and long black stockings (?).

"Still a menopausal b-st-rd…" she said with slight annoyance, and she didn't bother to conceal it.

"Care to repeat that old b-tch?!"

"Oh that is it you f-ck-r!" Mugino shouted, sending out green beams of her power at him, which Accelerator reflected with much ease.

"Tch… Cheating b-st-rd." she muttered.

"Hey, don't blame me if your ability aint worth crap."

"Hah! At least I'm not a pathetic skinny b-tch who just sulks after being defeated by another sh-tty level 0!"

"I wasn't the one who got defeated by a f-ck-ng doll."

Accelerator commented, pointing out the part during Mugino's and Mikoto's fight during the sister's project, where Mikoto used one of Frenda's dolls, infused with some metal, to knock her out. That was one of the most humiliating moments of her life, so she wanted to kill him but was stopped when a little girl stood protectively in front of the Number one.

"What the-?"

"Please don't hurt him! Misaka Misaka begs! Accelerator got hurt trying to protect Misaka Misaka! Misaka Misaka will not allow anyone to hurt him anymore! So please stop it! Misaka Misaka begs once again!"

Last Order cried. Mugino stared at the little Misaka clone for a few seconds, making Last Order look up at her, her hands dropping to her sides. It took a matter of seconds before it finally registered into Mugino's mind. Approximately 5 seconds later, she laughed her butt off.

"HAHAHAHAHAH! What the hell is this sh-t?! A little Misaka clone?! A replica of that good for nothing third class b-tch?! And more to the fact, she's protecting you Number one! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

She laughed before looming over the little girl who was still a bit shaken up.

"Oi, little brat." She said with a sinister smile. "Do you know who the f-ck that b-s-t-rd is?! He's the d-psh-t who killed your f-ck-ng sisters! The one who killed more than 10,000 clones of that pathetic b-tch of an Onee-san you have! AHAHAHAHA!"

Last Order glared at the woman in front of her. She was scared, but what the woman said was too much!

"Shut up! Misaka Misaka shouts! You don't know what Onee-chan and what Accelerator did for the Network! You weren't there! Misaka Misaka points out! Maybe you're just jealous of Onee-chan and Accelerator, because they're stronger than you! Because they have more worth than you! Misaka Misaka shouts out of anger and frustration!"

Last Order shouted. Mugino's sinister smile had faded, turning into nothing but sadism.

"You're one hell of a b-tch huh?! Guess cloning duplicates attitudes as well! Let me fix that little problem by killing you then!"

She shouted, preparing to fire a beam right through her, but was stopped when something pushed her back, forcing her to hit her back one of the lamp posts, which broke down after contact, sending her a few feet from them, crashing into the shards of the bench from Ave's and Accelerator's fight.

"Try to hurt the brat and be prepared to die b-tch."

"Really…" Mugino coughed as she stood up. "I was asked by the Board to come here, I was hoping from some deep sh-t, but wow. THIS is what I get?"

She laughed, taking note of Accelerator's current condition, Ave's current situation, Touma's disposition, and all the people she didn't know in the area.

"What? You're all having a killing-spree party without me? Now that just f-ck-ng pisses me off."

"Shut up b-tch." Accelerator muttered angrily. "We don't have time for your b-tch-ng so shut the hell up, or do you want me to do it f-ck-ng for you?" he added, a deadly glare showing off his red, devil-like eyes.

Mugino shuddered at this but kept quiet. She still valued her life, and she knew that pissing him off would be like eliminating all the oxygen in the world. And he could seriously do that.

"Well, the youth certainly have foul mouths don't they?" Laura commented, making both level 5's turn to her with a glare.

"Shut the hell up f-ck-ng b-tch."

"The hell's a f-ck-ng nun doing in Academy City?"

They both said at the same time. Touma really wanted to go there and ask what the hell was happening. Why the hell was the Meltdowner here? Why did the Board send her? Is this Alesteir Crowley's doing? Was she instructed to hurt Mikoto?

Questions piled up and flooded his head, but he was too preoccupied with Mikoto right now.

"Avey…"

Mikoto, or more likely, Cielo said, removing Touma's hands from her arms and walking towards him. Touma was about to reach for her, but something had stopped him. His right arm suddenly felt an extremely painful burning sensation. He retracted his arm and held it close, as he could only watch as Mikoto walked over to the b-st-rd on the floor, sitting in front of him.

As Mikoto sat, everything was silent.

"Avey.." she started. Even Ave himself could only stare up at Miko-, could only stare up at Cielo. Tears forming in his eyes. Cielo tilted her head and smiled sweetly.

"It's been awhile. I missed you, Avey." She said in a sweet voice.

No longer able to control his emotions, Ave suddenly leaped forward, throwing his arms around her, enveloping Cielo in a hug. They both landed on the ground with a loud thud, with Ave on top of her, but Cielo merely hugged him back.

"You're back!" Ave cried. "You're really back! Cielo!"

Cielo smiled, a few tears in her eyes as well, as she petted his messy mop of blonde locks, mixed with his blood and dirt.

"Yes, I am.. I really am…"

She said as her voice broke and she hugged him tighter. Crying on his shoulders and bloodied shirt. All the while, everyone else had kept silent. Including a certain spiky haired boy.

'_What…what's happening?_' Touma asked himself. '_If that's Cielo-san…then where's Mikoto?'_

"_**She's dead."**_

A voice in his head answered.

'_What the hell do you mean?'_

Touma asked again, as he watched Mikoto's Americanized version cry into the shoulder of another man. He didn't even bother to axk who was that voice. All he needed was an answer. An explanation to whatever was happening.

"_**Misaka Mikoto, the girl that you love, is dead."**_ The voice answered back _**"She's been dead for almost 4 years, yet you didn't notice."**_

"_But Mikoto was with me! We spent most of that time together! The only time we were apart was when she left for England!'_

"_**The girl who was with you was merely a remnant of Misaka Mikoto. A residue of her being that was left in her body."**_

'Then who is she?! Who's the girl hugging that bs-t-rd right now?!'

"_**You already know the answer, yet you keep denying the truth, because you refuse to accept that she's dead and it's all your fault."**_

'_SHUT UP! What do you know?! Who are you?!'_

"_**I know all your exact thoughts, I know all your greatest desires, I know everything about you, because for now, I am you, we are one."**_

'_You…You're the Reality Bender….'_

"_**Yes."**_

It answered shortly. Touma's mind was crumbling into pieces. After being told that Mikoto was…dead…he was lost. What was he supposed to do now? Can he still fight? Even if he knew that he had already lost what he was fighting for?

* * *

'_I want to protect her smile, and the world that makes her smile the way she does.'_

* * *

That was his answer to the Dragon King's question.

"I won't lie. I won't say that I'm doing this for the sake of the world." He added. "The thing…no, the person I want to protect the most is Mikoto. Yes, I know that it's selfish…but…right now, her smile is the only thing I can see. And I know, that if I don't protect it…I'll lose it forever."

"_**Is that what you really believe in?"**_ the Dragon King asked.

"Funny you mentioned that… Just now, I remembered something. Mikoto asked me the same question you did. Why did I risk my life so much? What was it that I was trying to protect? I answered her, saying that it was for her, but she got sad all of a sudden."

"_**Sad?"**_

"Yeah, I didn't understand it back then. Why was she so sad when I meant to say something sweet? Then she said something about us being temporary and that she didn't want to waste my efforts on something temporary like her. Until now, I don't know what that means. But whatever it is, I'll stop it from making her temporary. I'll break that illusion, and I'll bring it back to reality!"

* * *

"_**Reality Bender..."**_

The voice said, making Touma confused.

'_What?'_

"_**You want to use Reality Bender, to bring that girl back."**_

"_How did y-"_

"_**You have forgotten that I understand all your thoughts, I know every single step you make."**_

'_Wow, now I know how annoying it must feel like for Mikoto, having a voice in her head to talk to. A voice that knows everything.'_

"_**I will grant you the power. But you know what the price is."**_

It said in his mind in a darkening tone. Touma frowned.

"_Yeah, it really aint a pretty picture huh? But knowing that before that happens, I'll be able to save her, then I'll be fine."_

"_**Say those words."**_

"_You really want me to die huh?"_

"_**Utter them and attain power. Power that will be enough to protect all that you love, including that girl."**_ It persuaded. Touma smiled half-heartedly.

"_Well, now that you bring her in, I'm powerless."_ He remarked, taking one last glance at Cielo, who was possessing Mikoto's body right now. Despite her tears, Cielo was smiling.

"Mikoto…" he called out, snapping everyone out of the silence. Cielo had looked up to him, as she sat up, with Ave glaring at him, but sat up anyways.

"Ah….Touma was it?" Cielo asked, wiping her tears away. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I'm not Miko-"

"Mikoto is still in you Cielo-san, I can feel her."

"But how would-"

"I'm her Guardian, and I'm the idiot who loves her too much to let her go. So please, please tell her, or if she can hear us now, make her listen. " he said with a smile, making Cielo tilt her head.

"Mikoto, whether I come out of this alive or not, please smile for me. The way Cielo-san smiles for him. Smile…like the way you used to, when I could make you happy. That's all I ask of you, BiriBiri."

He said with the most sincere face he ever made. Cielo was about to say something, but she suddenly fell to the ground. Ave crawled over to her, shaking her body to wake her up.

"Cielo?! Cielo?! Wake up! Please! Wake up!"

He said like a mantra, hoping to wake her. He then turned to glare at Touma who just stared wide-eyed at them.

"YOU!" He shouted accusingly. "What the hell did you do to MY Cielo?!"

"I didn't do anything...yet! I swear!"

"Then what the hell happened to-! Oh no!" Ave shouted, as if he realized something.

"Oi! Why the hell did you shout like that?!"

Touma asked running over to him. Everyone else followed, with the exception of Imouto, Last Order, Accelerator who was now standing up, and Mugino who was busy with fixing her hair. The world suddenly started to shake and tremble. Index hurried over to Stiyl and held onto his arm, as everyone else struggled to keep their balance.

"What's happening?!" Touma asked.

"The world…it's going to be destroyed!" Josephine answered worriedly. All eyes were on her because of her statement.

"What do you mean? Mil and I made sure that it wouldn't happen! We even casted a barrier to contain whatever side-effects Magna Valera may have!"

Ave asked, making everyone confused.

"Wait, what do you mean by that?! Weren't you guys supposed to cast Angel Tear?" Index asked.

"Well, that was just a back-up plan. We never intended on using it! Mil and I aren't complete heartless b-st-rds you know! All we want is to drive Cielo out of Misaka Mikoto!"

"Then-… what was that barrier that I broke with Reality Bender?!" Touma asked as trees and posts started to fall.

"Wait, YOU were the one who broke it?! Why'd you do that idiot?!"

"Miliahelm himself told us that! It was the only way to stop you! If I didnt break it, then I couldn't get back here!"

"What?! That barrier was meant to keep Cielo's power in one place, so we could form another body for her! So that we could leave Mikoto alone! It shouldn't have a function to keep you out! What are you guys talking about anyway?!" Ave asked confused.

"Our only plan was to use Magna Valera to steal time and memories from the people in Academy City, and then we had to keep you away from Mikoto for at least 3 days so the power could settle down and form a new body for Cielo! Even with Sai-chan over there! All I was gonna do was send her to some place faraway from where we were! Killing her was just something to make me look more evil! I mean, no one really got hurt all the while right?" he added.

A sudden realization came over all of them. So after all this time, all that they've been doing…it just made matters worse? Were they really at fault for what the world was facing? Was Renaissance, the group whom they thought was evil, composed of only two members, really the villains in this story?

"What do you mean no one got hurt?! Every time Mikoto passed out, earthquakes kept happening! And it happens right after she hears or says some kind of poem!" Touma retorted.

"Look! There's no point in arguing now okay?! Something obviously went wrong because you broke the barrier! I mean, look that Mikoto and Cielo! They're not separating!" Ave said. Mikoto/Cielo's body suddenly flew upwards.

"Mikoto!"

"Cielo!"

Touma and Ave both shouted simultaneously. Mikoto/Cielo suddenly started glowing again., as she floated in mid air.

"Josephine! What's happening here?!"

Touma asked as he turned to Josephine.

"Why are you asking her you Idiot?! She's just a-" Ave said, but was cut off when Josephine spoke.

"For your information, I am not an ordinary girl. My name is Josephine Emery Miers, but in the Angelic Realm, I am known as Vernieri."

"Wait…Angelic Realm…Vernieri…."

"Yes. I am what you may call Deliria's or Cielo's superior. I'm the head of the Seven Pillars of the Gates of Heaven. And right now, the pillars are about to be broken."

"I don't get it! What do you mean by that?!" Stiyl shouted. Nothing was making sense anymore!

"Look, this is really hard to explain, but right now, all I can say is that, if we don't do something about Mistress Mikoto and Cielo, their angelic essence may run rampant and destroy this entire city, and probably the world!"

"But Zeniax is the one holding Cielo's powers! It can't be freed unless Zeniax dies! That was what Mil told me!" Ave said.

"Wait, so let me get this straight…you didn't know anything?" Touma asked as he eyed him cautiously.

"Didn't know what?"

"That that Zeniax girl is Miliahelm's and Cielo-san's daughter."

Touma stated. Ave's eyes widened as he heard Touma's words.

'_So he really didn't know anything? Miliahelm didn't tell him anything? But I thought that these guys were supposed to be partners! They were like brothers even!'_

Touma thought as he watched Ave clench his fists.

"Where's Mil?"

Ave said as hurt was clearly showing in his eyes. Touma pitied him, but still answered.

"I don't know. He suddenly disappeared right after that…THING took over me."

"Oh..but…do you think that…he's safe?"

"You're worried about him, even when he betrayed you like that?"

Touma asked. The tremors stopped, but something was still happening above them.

"Even so…Mil…Mil is still like my brother. I will never hate him. I'll always be worried about that troublesome fellow."

Ave answered with a smile. Touma smiled back, understanding his sentiment. A rude grunt snapped them back to reality.

"Ugh…" Accelerator muttered. "Please stop your bullsh-t romance. You can just continue that f-ck-ng bromance of yours later. When all this sh-t is done."

"That wasn't nice Accelerator." Touma said with a small glare.

"I don't f-ck-ng care." He answered back.

"Well~ Seems to me like someone is getting a bit jealous~" Ave joked. Accelerator turned to him with a glare, to which he only scoffed.

"Oi Oi Oi!" Mugino said as her hand massaged her temples. "From what I know, all you b-st-rds were trying to f-ck-ng kill one another a few minutes ago. But now you're f-ck-ng off and flirting right in front of us? Talk about a sh-tty situation."

"As much as I hate to agree with the Number four, Misaka must say, we have bigger problems to deal with. Misaka says as she raises her hands and points to Onee-sama. Misaka is very disappointed in the Savior, Misaka admits as she shakes her head."

"IMOUTO!" Touma whined.

A sudden clasp of thunder resounded in the sky, making everyone look up. Mikoto was breathing heavily, as her eye color flickered from hazel brown to sparkling blue. Her hair remained a neutral color between blonde and brown.

"Mikoto!"

Touma called out, but got no response. Instead, Mikoto cried out a horrifying scream of pain as bluish white rays of god-knows-what shot out from her body.

"Mistress Mikoto is currently undergoing fission. You know like, how when you put things together, it's called fusion, while when you separate them, it's called fission. But I guess…their essences are too attached to one another!"

Josephine explained. Touma suddenly panicked. Forcing things apart which are practically glued together can never be good.

"Archbishop! What do you suggest we do?" Kaori asked.

"Hmm…I guess our best bet by now is probably to use Imagine Breaker on that 'bond' those two have. That way, chances are that they'll both be fine after it." Laura said.

"Imagine Breaker? Why not Reality Bender?" Touma asked. Laura eyed him carefully, making him gulp.

"Did you really think that I wouldn't notice it Kamijou-kun? The effect that Reality Bender has on you? I know that, just like the Dragon King, it steals your consciousness from you. But rather than just adding to your misfortunes, Reality Bender does something much…gruesome."

"Yeah. It tries to consume my mind by torturing it." He said non-chalantly, making everyone turn to him with wide eyes.

"Is that…really alright with you?"

"Yeah…I guess. I mean, all it does is talk to me all the entire freaking time. It's like I have my own little Jimminy Cricket, well, an evil version of it anyway."

"But Kamijou-kun, you do realize that it might bring you to the edge of your sanity right?"

"About that, the Dragon King told me that it wouldn't happen. Imagine Breaker prevents Reality Bender from killing me or doing anything to me. They're like brothers fighting over one toy. Both aren't willing to give up, both just wanting to take possession of it."

"Sigh…if that is how you see things, then I guess there is nothing I can do. But I will not let you use a power you're not too familiar with….but we will need something similar to the Imagine Breaker for this to work." She said as everyone pondered about it.

"Hate to f-ck-ng say this, but that sh-t face over there used a power similar to that f-ck-ng hero's."

Accelerator said, pointing to Ave, who just looked at him bewilderedly. All eyes turned to him with a questioning look.

"You have an Imagine Breaker?" Touma asked.

"Imagine Breaker? Is that what you call the thing that nullifies powers?"

"Well..yeah."

"Oh, then if that is the case, then yes. I do have one. I don't know how though. I just thought of how much I wanted to this plan to work, so that I could bring back Cielo. And then bam! I was swaying my arm like a shield." He said, moving his right arm back and forth.

Another painful scream shot in their ears.

"No more time to waste. If Aviaries-kun over here can help, then let him. You will be willing to cooperate with us though, right?" Laura said hurriedly.

"Is it the only way to save Cielo?"

"Probably."

"Then yes. So how are we going to do this then?"

"The only thing the rest of us can do is disrupt Misaka-chan's attention. While the two of you get close enough to touch her. Since that still is Misaka-chan's body, her soul should be in the right half of it, while Cielo's is in the left half."

"I'll handle Mikoto, while Ave can handle Cielo." Touma said with determination, he then turned to Ave and asked, "Is that alright?"

"I would've made a complaint of you were to touch MY girl, Kamijou-kun." He answered with a smile.

"Right back at you, but you can call me Touma."

"Very well then, I look forward to working with you, Touma-kun."

"Likewise."

They both reached out their hands and shook them.

"Ugh…again with the bromance f-ck-ng hero-wannabe's." Accelerator muttered, earning him a glare from the two new friends.

"Well, I don't give a sh-t about what your plan is. I'm following my own. But…playing target practice with that f-ck-ng b-tch sounds really fun. So I'll get started right now."

Mugino said as she looked up to Mikoto, an evil smile gracing her lips as she fired multiple beams at her. But all of them just vanished, a few feet before they could even touch Mikoto.

"What the-"

"Did you think it would be that easy, you fourth rate b-tch?"

Accelerator said with a smirk as he gently pushed Last Order toward Imouto, who was standing right next to Laura.

"Take care of the brat for a while. I'm just gonna have to show these f-ck-ng ingrates how to actually hit a score. But before that…"

He said, kicking up a few slaps of steel that came from some part of their brawls, adjusting the vectors to make them float.

"You f-ck-ng b-st-rds have any intention of riding it? This is the only time I'll be doing it for free you know."

He said after clicking his tongue. Touma looked over to Ave and nodded, he nodded back as they clambered on to the make-shift elevators.

"Hold on tight d-psh-ts. I won't be held responsible for any broken bones or deaths that may happen in this deadly ride of mine."

Accelerator said as he motioned the plates upwards, sending them rocketing through the air. As soon as they were high enough to be face to face with Mikoto, who was literally switching colors right now, the barrage of attacks started.

Both magicians and espers fired off what they had, to destroy whatever was surrounding Mikoto, hoping to redirect the attention of her attacks. Mugino used her black, crystal-like cards, Stiyl used his Innocentius, and Josephine could only stand back, because at this point, there was nothing she could do.

'_I don't get it…Things…things are too easy. How can it be so convenient? Aviaries, the friend of that b-st-rd also has Imagine Breaker? And the fact that Zeniax hasn't appeared anywhere… Miliahelm isn't anywhere to be seen…It's like he completely vanished! Something is wrong here…I just know it…'_

She thought as she watched the multitude of beams and powers hit the invisible sphere around Mikoto. Meanwhile, two idiots were too busy trying to avoid getting killed by random projectiles thrown below them.

"We should've probably told them to avoid hitting us in the-WOAH- first place!"

Ave said as he barely avoided one of Mugino's beams and some other deadly weapons.

"Yeah-woah- guess we should've –gah!- told them that!"

He said as a green beam barely missed his nose. He looked down and saw Mugino smiling widely.

"Uhm….Mugino-san? Though we really don't know each other…I'd like to ask you to please watch where your beams hit?'

"Well sorry about that Kami-kun~ But when a girl gets wild, there aint no stopping her~"

She said with a sadistic smile, making him shudder and just focus on his mission.

'_Kami-kun? Seriously, Mikoto would've gotten mad if she heard her call me that…'_ he thought as he looked at Mikoto's shuddering figure.

Mikoto looked scared.

For some reason, she seemed scared. She was breathing heavily, almost hyperventilating. Her eyes widened and dilated at unknown speeds and beads of sweat formed all over her face.

"Uh…Touma-kun?..Don't you feel like…something's wrong here?" Ave asked.

"I feel it…but we're still not sure…so let's just give it a try then."

Touma answered as he took a deep breath, before straightening his face, and reaching for Mikoto's right hand. Ave followed his lead and reached out for her left hand. They both felt static running through them as they inched closer to her.

Later, the static grew stronger, as it became painful electrifying shocks.

"Ah sh-t…" Touma muttered. "It's been awhile since she shocked me like this. But don't you ever think that this will be enough to bring me down Mikoto."

He added as he quickened his pace and just grabbed her hand. The shocks grew even stronger, probably summing up to a thousand volts, but he bared the pain. He winced in pain, but his grip firmly held her hands. He was wondering why Imagine Breaker wasn't working on her right now, but to hell with that. Soon enough, an entire thunder cloud was rumbling right behind them. He heard his name get called several times, but he decided to ignore them.

"Mikoto…" he said. "I don't know if talking to you would make things easier for us, but-" another painful scream escaped her lips as Touma felt another surge of electricity.

"I don't know if this will work but…but I just want you to know that I'm here for you. We're all here for you."

Her screams stopped, and so did the shocks. _It worked_? He thought in surprise. Mikoto slowly raised her head. Her eyes were still hazy, but they were back to the color he was used to, hazel. She took deep breaths as she struggled to say something.

"T…t…t..ou….mm..a…"

She breathed, making him smile.

"Welcome back…BiriBiri."

He said as he felt her grip tighten around his hand, but then remembered that he wasn't alone in this mission. He also noticed that the flying beams were no longer seen, and for some strange reason, he felt rather disturbed by this.

"Ave? Are you-!"

He was shocked with what he saw. His mouth was left hanging as he stared at the other man who held Mikoto's left hand. Ave managed to smile at him, despite the blood in his mouth and the blood oozing from a stab-like hole in his chest.

"T..ake…care…of Cielo…and Mi..koto….T..touma-k..kun…"

He said, before letting go of Mikoto's hand, and falling off the slap of metal he was floating on. Mikoto's unconscious body almost did the same, if not for Touma's quick reflexes. He managed to catch her body and held onto it tightly, but he could only watch as Ave's lifeless body, slowly fall to the ground, as the look of his final smile was stuck in his mind.

"No…NO! Ave!"

Touma shouted as the plate he was standing on slowly drifted downwards, until they got to the ground. Touma fell on his butt, cradling Mikoto safely in his arms as he watched Ave slowly dissipate into green specs of light.

"What the hell?" he muttered.

"Aviaries Veolia Anderwick has long been dead Master Kamijou." Josephine explained. "He has been dead for nearly 6 centuries. The body he has been using now is merely product of a spell, and alchemy."

"Alchemy?" Stiyl asked.

"The Philosopher's Stone." Josephine said bluntly. "A stone that grants one eternal life. But in his case. He had wished for his soul to become eternal, not his physical body. A spell is casted to create a human container for the soul. The only way this can be activated, even if the spell caster is dead, if it meets certain conditions. "

"When Cielo-san is reincarnated…" Touma muttered.

"Correct. Whenever the love of his life is brought back to the world, he is as well. This will be an eternal cycle, he lives, he finds her, and he dies. Over and over again. He lives through the pain, just to be with Cielo, even in the shortest of times." Josephine said as she finished explaining. Ave slowly opened one of his eyes and smiled at Touma.

"Don't…pity…me…Touma-kun." He wheezed.

"We really are similar huh?"

"Yeah. Two men who are totally under in a relationship." Ave remarked with sarcasm.

"I'm sorry for calling you a b-st-rd."

"It's alright."

"I'm sorry for punching you in the face."

"That one hurt, but it's okay."

"I'm sorry I called you an idiot."

"We both are."

"I'm sorry you had to die."

Touma said solemnly, as almost half of Ave's body was nothing but green sparkly dusts that flew in the air. Ave sighed.

"I'll be okay. It was my choice to be like this."

"But…'

"No more but's. This fight is over, but there will be more to come. Promise me that you'll protect them. Mikoto, Mil, if he ever comes back, and most especially Cielo."

"Don't question the inevitable."

Touma answered, making Ave laugh a bit. He closed his eyes as all that was left of him was his face.

"You were a good guy, Ave. You were a man who fought to protect the one that he truly loves."

"I'll be back in a few centuries, if Cielo get's reincarnated that is. I talked to Cielo though, even just for a few seconds, when I touched Mikoto's hands."

"Really? What did she say?"

"That she'd kill me for causing so much trouble. So I better be prepared, oh, and Mikoto wanted to tell you that too."

"Ugh…we both have it hard."

The two new friends shared a small laugh. Ave's time had come as his entire body turned into the same sparkly green dust that fluttered beautifully in the air.

"Goodbye…Touma-kun…"

His voice echoed in the wind as he the dust flew far away, going off into only-god-knows-where. All of them heard a little sniffle. They turned back and saw Last Order, hugging the waist of the only albino in their group, crying.

"The hell you're crying f-ck-ng brat?" Accelerator asked annoyingly.

"Mi…Misaka Misaka….is…is n-never good with….tragedies! Waah~! Misaka Misaka wails as she cries! Misaka Misaka is touched! Two friends born from war and hate! Waaaah~ Misaka Misaka cries as she buries her face in your shirt!"

"Oi! STOP THAT! Ugh! F-ck-ng brat and your f-ck-ng soft-heartedness. You're getting your f-ck-ng snot all over my shirt!"

Mugino only rolled her eyes, as she flipped her hair and walked away, leaving them behind. Accelerator also had to drag Last Order home; saying that she needed to take her nap or the f-ck-ng Spartan Cow would put him through much more sh-t. Imouto tagged along with them, after making sure that Mikoto was fine.

The members of Necessarius also left shortly afterwards. Index had wanted to stay, but Laura bribed her with English dishes, so she went along willingly, bidding Touma and Mikoto happily goodbye. Josephine promised to come back, after checking up on her Master.

Touma could only smile as he watched all of his friends and allies leave. When they were gone, he looked down at the sleeping girl in his arms. He smiled wistfully as he brushed a strand of her hair away from her face. The girl stirred as her eyes opened slightly.

"T..Touma?"

She asked. Touma's smile grew even wider.

"Yo! How are you feeling BiriBiri?"

He asked in his usual cheerful tone. Mikoto couldn't open her eyes any longer. They unwillingly closed, as her head fell to his chest, resting on it comfortably. Touma though that she was probably too tired to answer, so he just shrugged it off. He started to walk to the nearby hospital, where the frog-faced doctor was. He was SO not gonna like seeing Mikoto like this.

"Is everything…over?"

Mikoto asked, surprising him. He thought she was asleep, but seems like she was just resting her eyes. Touma did his best to smile as he mustered up all the cheeriness her had, despite the fatigue beating him.

"Everything's over Mikoto." He answered, "It will all be okay."

Touma felt Mikoto fall asleep in his arms, so he happily walked towards the hospital.

"_**Liar. This is just the beginning."**_ A voice said in his head. _**"Things will never be okay, as long as she is-"**_

"Shut the f-ck up and let her rest you sh-t."

Touma said irately. The voice was silenced for awhile. Touma stared at Mikoto's face as she slept. Her breathing was steady; her lips were lightly parted, as she was curled up in his arms.

"You've been through a lot huh? But now, I'm here for you. And with this, we can start again."

"_**Start again in Hell that is."**_

"SHUT THE F-CK UP."

**-chapter end-**

**Yow! Wow….Well that concludes Ave's part of the story. As some of you may have guessed, he really isn't the MAIN villain. But hah~ let's leave it at that for now okay?**

**So, things have ended rather peacefully, and for some reason, Touma is still troubled by it. You guys will know why in the future chapters. If you noticed the similarity of the events from chap 15 of FYF and this, then I commend you! Wa-ha! You guys are sharp! You'll also find out why later.**

**But hey, just to remind you, THIS IS NOT THE END.**

**I was supposed to bring Kakine in, but I kind of thought that the scenes would be too cluttered with him in the picture. So I guess I'll drag the level 5's one by one then. 3 down, 3 to go! Though news is that Aogami is the 6****th**** level 5, we're still not entirely sure about it, so I'll skip him for now.**

**Fun fact: While I was typing the part where Last Order cries on Accel's shirt and he throws a fit about it, my MP suddenly played 'Network wa Sugoi!' or 'The Network is Fantastic!', which happens to be a very lively and adorable song, which is also Last Order's character song.**

**I don't know why but I just found that laughable… -_-**

**Sorry, sorry… I'm typing random things again. But please be reminded that the entire FYF is my first story. So I'm not really that good at writing. I'm a novice among novices in terms of writing abilities. But even so, I will never discontinue or drop this story. I love this story and the friends I made through it too much to let them go.**

**Well, anyway, thanks again! Sorry for the incredibly long AN! Please review if you will! I accept any thoughts or words you may have regarding the story. Thank you very much! I hope you enjoyed! Till next time! Ja!**

**Next chap: Now that things have temporarily settled, Mikoto is staying in the hospital and she confronts Kuroko for the first time, after finding out the truth. What kept Kuroko busy all throughout the fight? What surprising news will Mikoto's name get dragged into now? Several more truths will be revealed, oh, and please expect this much, KAMIKOTO FLUFF! **

**Ah~ I missed writing those stuff~**


	25. Starting Over (or are we?)

**This chapter is dedicated to 5! and of course, to all the other readers! **

**Okay…so this is one hell of a chapter… I think I made Mikoto into a perv..ahahahaha… you'll find out why. **

**Okay, I know I said that I'd write fluff in here, but I don't think I actually did… To me, seeing them quarrel and argue over something is kind of like fluff, so if that counts…then there ya go.**

**Well, I'M BACK! Please, just enjoy this chapter as much as you can okay? I hope you like it!**

Chapter 25

"-to?...Mikoto...Mikoto?...Mikoto!...Mikoto! Wake up!"

Mikoto's eyes twitched, as she peeled them open, her eyelids automatically closing due to the immediate brightness they were exposed to. She sat up, and rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked forward to see the Americanized version of herself smiling at her. They were in that a hospital room. The one that she always went to. Maybe this room was also reserved for her. (That idiot has been influencing her too much! Even she's being hospitalized more than too often!)

"Well, good morning sleepyhead. It took you long enough."

Cielo laughed. Mikoto pouted, but smiled in the end.

"You seem happy today, Cielo-san."

She commented. Cielo stopped laughing and grabbed Mikoto's left hand, staring at it and caressing it, which weirded Mikoto out.

"Uhm…Cielo-san?"

"Oh..sorry. It's just…that person held your hand…before he left…"

"That person? You mean Ave-san? What do you mean he left?"

"Yes. He left…as in he's gone. He was never alive in the first place. He was just a remnant of our selfish desires in the past. It'll probably be another 6 centuries before I see him again."

"Oh…is that so?..." Mikoto breathed, staring at Cielo's solemn expression while holding her hand. Seeing her like this made her feel guilty.

"This is my fault isn't it?"

She accidentally said aloud. Cielo's head snapped forward, while Mikoto took back her hand and put it on her mouth, preventing it from spouting anymore nonsense that could ruin everything.

"No, of course it's not Mikoto.." She said, trying to be comforting with her smile, but of course, Mikoto knew better.

"We're the same, remember Cielo-san? So please don't act like you're not depressed about it."

"Mikoto…"

Cielo sighed. She stood up and walked over to the window, lacing her palm against the window glass.

"You've certainly gotten used to me then huh?"

Mikoto ignored her comment, as she just stared at her worriedly. Cielo looked at her and smiled.

"Oh come now dear." She said walking over to her and patting her head. "Don't go on and make our last meeting in a while so depressing alright?"

"Whatever you say, it won't—EEHH?" Mikoto's eyes widened as what Cielo said registered in her mind. "What do you mean last? I won't be the Angel of Death anymore? You're going?"

"Well, for starters, you never really were the Angel of Death. I was that angel okay? You're something even more special. I'll always be with you, I won't leave, but…due to certain…how do I call it? Oh yes! Due to certain influences around you, I won't be able to let even the smallest amount of manifestation come out, or we may both be dead."

"Are you referring to Touma?"

"Was I that obvious?"

"A little bit."

Mikoto answered with a small laugh, making Cielo giggle. They both shared the light and joyful atmosphere for about 30 seconds, until they stopped.

"Mikoto…I might not be able to get the chance to tell you this, but please. Be careful." She said holding both of Mikoto's hands, a worried look on her face. "Things…aren't exactly over yet. I don't know why, but I feel like evil is lurking around you all the time, like its part of you."

"Evil…is….part..o-of..m-me?"

"You know that I believe in you Mikoto. I know that you are a good person. I will bet my life that you would never do something intentionally evil or wrong, but that unnerving feeling of mine feels death surrounding you. I don't know what it is, but please be careful."

Cielo reminded you, Mikoto nodded obediently. Cielo smiled and hugged her.

"You remind me so much of my daughter…"

"Daughter?" Mikoto asked thoughtfully, "Oh! That Zeniax girl! Hey wait…now that you mention it, I've met Zeniax-san before."

"Ara?" Cielo wondered breaking away from the hug.

"Yeah…she was the girl who was guiding me in my Essence Scape. She was the girl with the really dark brown hair!"

"Yes, Zeniax does have brown hair. What else do you remember about her?"

"Ah? Well…uhhhh…I…I really don't know much…her face was covered by hair most of the time… and on some occasions, my memory of her would just be blurs…but I do feel like I know her personally though…"

"Ah, is that so?" Cielo asked with a smile, "If it's not too much to ask, could you take care of her, if ever she needs you to Mikoto?"

"HA? Well of course its fine! She is Cielo-san's daughter! And besides, she was just being controlled by Ave-san before when she tried to hurt me, so I'm sure she's very nice. Though…I do have a question to ask…"

"Well, what is it?"

"Why did you name your daughter Zeniax? If I remember correctly…Zeniax is-"

"-one of the Seven Pillars of the Gate of Heaven. The Angel of the Sky and Wind. Yes, that was my reason for naming her that."

"But why? Is she really a Pillar Angel?"

"No…No she's not. From what I remember, Zeniax should be pretty much normal. But…knowing Mil's mental state then and now, I fear that he might've done something to my poor child. I named her Zeniax…because from all the 7 Pillar angels, Zeniax was the freest one. She could freely soar the sky, as if she owned it. She was always smiling, making things happy. I wanted my daughter to be like that, so I named her after Zeniax." Cielo said with a sad smile,

"Cielo-san…"

"I wanted my daughter to be free from all this celestial mayhem. She doesn't need to go through what I've been. I love her too much to watch her suffer. You see Mikoto?"

"Yeah, I understand you Cielo-san…You're just like my Mom, always wanting to protect me, even at the cost of her own safety."

"That's just what love does to you Mikoto…That's just what love does…"

Cielo said with a smile as she stood up. Her form started fluctuating, like seeing static on TV screens.

"Ah, such a troublesome guy he is…I wanted to spend more time talking to you." Cielo pouted, but Mikoto only laughed it off.

"The fact that you just laughed and didn't bother to argue means that you want to talk to him huh?" she said slyly, making Mikoto blush.

"Cielo-san!"

"Ha-ha. Yes, yes, you do not love him anymore right? I will keep quiet about the fact that you are so obviously lying about that."

"You're not helping Cielo-san…" Mikoto grunted.

"Oh shush now Mikoto. Well, it seems like it's time for our final farewells, is it not?"

She said going over and hugging Mikoto again.

"Thank you for everything Mikoto."

"I should be the one saying that to you, Cielo-san…"

"No, not entirely… You made me realize something, that we do have the power to live our own lives and find our own destiny. There are countless possibilities, if we just open our hearts to see them. You fought your destiny of becoming an angel, and now, despite still being one, you can now live freely, with Touma."

Cielo said with a smile as she backed away, letting reality seep into their own little world.

"I probably shouldn't be the one to say this, but you are the Angel of Life Mikoto. You are the one to bring light and hope to the world, whenever it will fall. You are the one who lives in the light, always making the right choice, for the betterment of everyone, even-"

"-even at the cost of my own life."

Mikoto continued, Cielo stared at her, upon noticing this, Mikoto smiled.

"What? You think that I wouldn't notice that? My wounds were healing faster than usual Cielo-san, and I also feel something else entirely different about me, you just clarified it."

"You really are special… But, please, I need to say this. Mikoto, when the time comes, you will be made to choose between two things important to you. Two things that you probably value too deeply to let go, but please, remember to make the right choice, no matter what. Don't bet your life on something wrong."

She said as the world fell apart.

'_What the-? Choose between what?! WHY ME?! I don't get it! Cielo-san! Cielo-san!'_

Mikoto reached out to her, wanting to ask something about her last words, but was stopped. She tried screaming but no voice came. She tried to move, but she felt paralyzed. She was feeling helpless again, she was desperate to know what Cielo meant, but she was gone.

And it would only be a while, before she would face what she feared the most. ALL OVER AGAIN.

* * *

_**You are the Angel of Life Mikoto… choose between two things important to you… even at the cost of your own life…please make the right choice…**_

"Ugh…damn it…"

Mikoto said as her eyes opened once again, only to see the room she was frequently brought to. Her vision adjusted to the light, before she could even have the energy to huff out her frustration.

"Another puzzle…uuhh…when will this be REALLY over?!"

She said irately as she began kicking her feet. She felt like something bumped into her toe, like she had accidentally kicked something. She looked over to her toes, which were under the blanket, without sitting up. There was a school bag, and another paper bag. _Is someone else here? _She thought, until she felt something prickling her arm. She looked over to her right, and saw something that made her blush warmly.

Kamijou Touma was sleeping, his head on the bed right next to her hand. The idiot must've been hesitating whether to hold it or not, until he finally fell asleep, without making a move.

Mikoto couldn't help but giggle as she did her best to sit up, but her best only allowed her to slightly raise her body. Deciding that it was better not to push her body too much, she just laid her head on the headboard of her bed and smiled at him.

"Huh… see? Heroes do get tired every once in a while…."

She laughed, noticing that he was drooling in his sleep. She was about to snap a picture of him, until she realized that she still didn't have one. She noticed that Touma's phone was lying right next to his hand, so she decided to take his.

"Hm…hope you don't mind that I'll use your phone for a few seconds…"

She laughed, as she planned her brief act of mischief. When she finally had hold of the phone, the strap it had made her smile.

"So you still kept this huh?...And now…Gekota isn't alone anymore…"

She mused as she held the two dangling figures. Next to their matching Gekota straps was the keychain she had given him upon her arrival. The Toumanized version of Gekota. She had lied of course, saying that she just randomly saw it and bought it out on impulse. Mikoto had it specially made. And she even had one for herself. Hers was Pyonko, with brown hair and flower clips on the right side, wearing a brow blazer with a red ribbon and a pleated grey skirt.

But, due to her tsundere tendencies, she refuses to use it in public, but somehow managed to gather up the courage to actually give it to him in the first place.

'_I wonder…does he…smile or feel..warm whenever he sees this? Does…he feel the same way I do right now?'_

She asked herself as she caressed Touma's strap. Mikoto shook her head. This was a moment of revenge, not admiration. Mikoto took a deep breath before bringing the camera closer to his face and trying to get a good angel.

The idiot was asleep…and he was freaking drooling on her hospital bed…but…but…but WHY THE HELL WAS SHE FINDING IT SO ATTRRACTIVE?!

She should be weirded out! She should be grossed! Disgusted!

BUT NO!

Mikoto tried to steady her hands as her face flushed bright red, as her breathing became irregular. She kept on chanting mantra's to calm her down, but all was left in vain.

'_WHY DO I STILL THINK THAT HE LOOKS SO CUUUTE~?!"_

She thought angrily in her head, before slamming the phone to whatever was nearest to it. She heard a grunt of pain.

'_Oh no….'_

Was her only thought, as she heard random mumbling and muffled sounds, and something felt disgustingly wet... Mikoto couldn't bring herself to look at him.

"Whaffafaffa—Mwifoto?"

His muffled voice asked. Mikoto sweated bullets as she slowly moved her head to face him.

"O-o! H-hey the—re?"

Even Mikoto was surprised with what she saw. The phone was right in his mouth and it just so happens that she was still holding it. Oh, so that's why it felt wet… Her hand was right over a used to be sleeping guy. Do the math.

"MWIFOTO IF ITH FWU!"

Touma said happily, seemingly forgetting about the phone in his mouth as he stood up to hug her, but before he could, Mikoto sent out a few sparks, making his mouth go numb.

"G-g-g-g-o f-f-fix y-yourself up first! Y-you idiot!"

She stuttered. Touma pouted, before running off to the nearby bathroom door. Mikoto slid down the headboard, before staring at her hand…

'_My hand…was on…his..m-mouth…I…I…'_

She said with a blissful blush and expression apparent on her face.

'_OH MY GOD! SNAP OUT OF IT Mikoto!'_

She resolute, about to slap her cheeks with her hands, but then remembered…the infection…the other one hand.

"Ew..ew…ew..ew.."

She muttered as she wiped her hands off on her sheets.

"You don't have to look nor sound so disgusted you know…"

Touma's voice said, making her stop. Mikoto looked forward and saw him out of the bathroom. He had on a hurt expression, which just made him look stupid. Mikoto huffed indignantly.

"Huh…as if I'd want to get contaminated by your unbounded idiocy Kamijou Touma."

She said rolling her eyes and turning away. She heard footsteps shuffling from behind her, until she felt his presence loom over her.

"I missed you so much…BiriBiri…"

"Yeah right, you big idiot."

"I'm sorry."

He said, surprising her. When she was about to look back, Touma bent over and hugged her, with one knee on the bed. Mikoto blushed and immediately panicked.

"Hey, just relax will you Mikoto?" Touma said coolly.

'_Wha-wha-wha-wha-wha-what the hell is happening?!'_

She screeched in her thoughts. In her daze, Mikoto accidentally kicked Touma's knee, forcing him to go down on her.

"OOF…Told you to relax didn't I?"

"H-h-h-how can I relax you IDIOOOOT?"

Unable to take anymore, Mikoto's body gave way as they both feel on top of the bed, with Touma over her. Mikoto was wearing a white hospital gown, and she felt utterly…exposed? Hospital gowns never really did much to cover you. They were just like strips of cloth pieced together. The material was thin and can easily be lifted, and with their position right now, let's just say that Mikoto felt unpleasant drafts in some parts of her that she didn't want. He was heavy, but not crushing. Her chest hurt, but it was from the intense heat from the situation.

"Ne…I just realized something."

"Wha-wha-what?!"

"Your chest has grown bigger again."

And that was the final straw. Mikoto's head turned extremely red, as steam emanated from it like a choo-choo train. Her eyes were complete swirls as her body trembled and shook.

"You…you…YOU IDIOT!"

She shouted hugging him and sending thousands of volts of electricity through him. He kept on yelping in pain, but she wasn't listening to any of them. She was having her revenge right now, and nothing could ever stop her, not even-

"Ah, Misaka-san, please don't do something so erotic if the door is open okay?"

Heaven Canceller said coming in her room. Mikoto stopped and literally threw Touma to the sides and sat up, despite the dizziness she felt, she looked at the door and noticed that it was open, and that other patients and nurses were staring. She immediately magnetized the door, closing it with a bam.

"Are you still alive Kamijou-kun?"

Heaven Canceller said as he poked Touma's cheek with a ballpen. Touma stirred and stood up, only this time his spiky hair came out as an afro. He shook it off and sighed.

"Way to ruin a moment Mikoto."

"WAY TO FREAK ME OUT YOU IDIOT!" She shouted. "What the hell were you thinking huh?! J-j-just doing that all of a sudden!"

"Ever heard the saying 'spur of the moment'?"

"THAT'S A FREAKING PHRASE! IT'S NOT A SAYING!"

"Alright, alright enough of your bickering." Heaven Canceller said with a wave. "I'm here to deliver a message for Misaka-san. It seems like the trouble with your stalkers has been dealt with. You can stop attending that university and transfer back to Tokiwadai. Same class, same schedule, same everything."

"Oh? Is that so? Thank you then…" Mikoto said with a smile. Heaven Canceller smiled back, before turning to Touma.

"And as for you Kamijou-kun…"

"Eh? You have news for me?" Touma asked pointing a finger to himself. Dr. Gekota coughed.

"Unfortunately yes. Minako-chan sent me your past scores, and some paper works. You're gonna have to take remedial classes, if you don't want to repeat your entire year."

"Minako-chan?" Touma and Mikoto both asked. Heaven Canceller thought for a moment, before an idea popped into his head.

"Oh, judging from Misaka-san, I'm sure you call her Dr. Pyonko. Heaven Arbiter's real name is Yamamoto Minako, didn't you know?"

"Oh." "Oh."

They both answered, having the same thought. '_You're probably the only one who knows.' _After a few more seconds, Touma finally reacted.

"SUCH MISFORTUNE."

"Idiot."

"Well, disregarding Kamijou-kun's education, the both of you seem to be doing fine, even after all this scrape. So I take it everything went fine?" Heaven Canceller asked.

"Huh..as if… with this guy over here, things are bound to go wrong Dr. Gekota."

Mikoto said as she sat properly in her bed.

"Hey, don't talk to me like I'm not here."

"What if I tell you that I don't care?"

"Oh I know you care."

"Says who?"

"Says me."

"Sigh, yeah sure. Says the idiot who can't even beat a junior in simple algebra."

"Those weren't simple and you know it!"

"Excuses."

"NO THEY'RE NOT!"

"Then what do you call them?"

"Reasons."

"Excuses."

"STOP SAYING THAT!"

"Stop saying what?"

"MIKOTO!"

And so the couple had another argument to fight over. Heaven Canceller could only watch with a heavy sigh. Those two would never change no matter what now wouldn't they? He decided to just leave them be and was about to walk out the door, when the silhouette of a person could be seen standing in front of the glass of the door.

"Misaka-san, you have a visitor, I'll let them in okay?"

He asked, but got no response. Mikoto was still to busy fighting with Touma. He sighed again, as she just opened the door and was met with a young girl with twin tails, holding a vase flowers.

"Ah, well hello there Shirai-san."

He greeted. The moment he said her name, the room suddenly grew quiet, as Mikoto stopped for once. Touma looked back and forth between Kuroko and Mikoto, wondering if they had a fight. After 5 seconds of hopeless silence,

"Kamijou-kun, I'm going to need your help with some stuff, so why don't you go and help me okay? An old man like man can't carry much more.."

"Ah but-"

"GO." Mikoto said interrupting him. "Please just go." She said looking at him seriously. Touma smiled before walking over and messing with her hair.

"Try to be careful with your words, that's where you always slip."

He reminded with a gentle smile, before walking out with the doctor. Once the door clicked, Mikoto took a deep breath.

"How've you been? I haven't seen you since Ave-san."

Mikoto asked with a smile. Kuroko looked up to her, hesitating what to do. She propped herself upright before saying,

"Kamijou-san has explained things to me Onee-sama. You need not tire yourself. Oh, and we brought these flowers for you. Uiharu and Saten-san will be here in a while. I think they're still picking some cakes."

Kuroko answered with a smile, bringing the vase to Mikoto's bedside. Mikoto watched as Kuroko fiddled with the flowers in an attempt to further beautify them.

"How are you…feeling Onee-sama?" Kuroko asked with her head held down.

"I'm fine. There's not much to go on about really. I'm still alive Kuroko, that's all that counts. I know that you're upset about everything. I can read it on your face."

"Sigh, so have we gotten that close, over the course of the years, Onee-sama?"

"Well of course you idiot, you're my roommate and my best friend. How can I not know you?"

"I find that rather ironic, coming from you. You, as in the person who kept a grave illness all to herself for the past four years."

Kuroko said in a tone as she sat down on a chair.

"Kuroko…I told you, I'll be fine." Mikoto said with a smile. " I'm the third strongest le-"

"You are a girl Onee-sama." Kuroko said cutting her off. " You are a woman with a heart that hurts and aches. You are an ordinary human being. And there are some things in this world that you cannot handle."

"I won't argue with you, Kuroko."

Mikoto said, the smile completely wiped off from her face, leaving a sour indifferent look.

"I'm not trying to argue Onee-sama! All I'm trying to do is to convince you! Telling the others and asking for help is not a sign of weakness!"

"This is not about being strong or weak Kuroko!"

"Then what is this about then?" she asked again, pain flickering in her eyes as she stared at her senior with worry, which is something that the latter was NOT fond of. "Enlighten me about what all THIS is about. I have ears Onee-sama, and I am more than willing to lend them to you, if only you could trust me with it."

"Kuroko, I trust you. I really do, but sometimes, there are just things that you need to keep to yourself. All that I'm doing is to protect all of you, all of Academy City. This is what I want to do with the rest of the life that I have left. So please let me do it."

Mikoto said throwing her feet to one side of the bed and looking at Kuroko with a pleading expression. Kuroko could only sigh, before she stood up, bent over and hugged Mikoto.

"I apologize, Onee-sama…"

She mumbled. Mikoto smiled, as she brought a hand to pat the top of Kuroko's head.

"It's alright I can't blame you really."

"It's…alright?" Kuroko asked in an unsure tone, without letting go.

"Yeah, it's alright."

Mikoto answered back, hugging Kuroko. She heard the younger girl yelp, making her smile. Kuroko's shoulders suddenly began shrugging, and her breathing got uneven."

"Hey, Kuro-"

"ONEE-SAMA!"

Kuroko suddenly shouted, pouncing on her senior. She rubbed her face against Mikoto's chest, making the latter blush furiously.

"What the hell Kuroko?!" Mikoto shouted as she tried to break free, without the use of her powers.

"Ah~ But Onee-sama has said it was alright~! Onee-sama has finally accepted Kuroko's love~~!" Kuroko purred, continuously rubbing her face on Mikoto's chest. "Ara~? Onee-sama's chest has gotten bigger again~!"

SNAP

Mikoto's patience had finally snapped like a twig. She released bolts of electricity, paralyzing the poor Judgment girl. Kuroko transformed into a heap of an afro as Mikoto rolled her off of her. She sat up and stretched, before sending a glare towards the direction of the crisp teleporter.

"And when I thought you had finally changed!"

"T-t-true love…n-never changes O-onee-sama…"

"Oh shut it."

She said, sending a few more sparks at her, making her twitch and stop moving. Mikoto then sighed, before standing up and stretching her overly rested arms.

"Haa~ I wonder how many days I was out…It felt so long since I stretched like this~"

She said doing some shoulder stretches with a yawn.

"You've been knocked out for three days, if that helps."

A voice answered, making Mikoto look back, only to see none other than Kamijou Touma himself, sliding the door behind him, closing it in the process. Mikoto walked over to the wall and leaned on it.

"Oh, it's you. I thought Doc had something to do for you?"

Mikoto asked as she watched Touma walk over to the bed. His eyes widened with the view and looked over to her with a questioning look.

"What? It was harassment I swear."

"Ah, okay." He answered back, pulling Kuroko's head up to the pillow and placing the sheets over her. "The doctor only said to get the two of you to talk. I won't ask what you argued about, but it seems to me like it's finally over now, right?"

"Hm…not really. Nothing is ever truly over you know."

"Yeah, I guess. Anyway, BiriBiri?"

Touma asked looking over to her, and taking a few steps closer.

"Wh-what?" Mikoto immediately stuttered. Touma lifted his hand and brought it to her chest. Upon seeing his actions, Mikoto blushed and closed her eyes, preparing herself for whatever it was he was doing. His hand went over and picked something from her chest.

"You still wear this…"

He said wistfully as his hands played with the Gekota necklace he had given her on their first anniversary. Mikoto opened her eyes, and saw him standing in front of her, at a dangerously close proximity, their faces just a few centimeters away. She momentarily forgot how to breathe as she basked in the presence of her spiky headed lover…friend, as he towered above her, a warm smile playing on his face.

'_Who is he to me? What are we? Who am I to him? I…I want to know…'_

"I-I-I only w-wear it because it's Gekota!"

She reasoned with a red face as she turned away. He heard him stifle a laugh, before taking a deep breath and turning her head to face him once again.

"Why'd you do it?"

She asked with a special glint in her eyes. Touma seemed to be left in wonder as he stared at her curiously. Before he could ask, Mikoto held his hand, which was holding the pendant with her left hand, while her right hand went over to the pendant and pressed the flower. It popped open, revealing a small note and a petal.

"That. Why'd you do it?"

Mikoto asked again, still not letting go of his hands, while looking up to him. Touma stared down at her, before laughing nervously, a small tint of red apparent on his cheeks.

"Y-yeah…I didn't think you'd find out about it…It's kinda embarrassing."

"You made this shenanigan and you're embarrassed?"

"Hey, I'm a guy and I'm definitely not the romantic type. Saying things like 'I hope that we will always be together loving each other' is very very embarrassing…"

"Oh don't say that…I was…really touched…you know."

Mikoto answered with a smile and a blush, staring at the note in the hands of Touma. For some reason, she felt like all her tsundere-ness was pushed away. She felt like she had the courage to speak out anything that she wanted to at this moment. And that was exactly what she was gonna do.

"Eh? You were?"

"Well…yeah…I mean, I discovered this on the plane, back when I was about to leave for England. Reading it…kind of made me hesitate… I didn't want to leave, but…pride really got the better of me. So, we..may not be able to…uhm…take back or…continue what we had…but th-that doesn't mean that we can't start over again…right?"

She said looking up to him hopefully. It took a few seconds before Touma could actually react. He smiled,

"You surprised me there, Misaka Mikoto."

He said as his innocent smile turned into a knowing smirk. Mikoto's face heated up as all her tsundere-ness that was pushed aside flooded back in. She let go if his hands and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Ugh…I hate it when you have that freaking face on. You-"

"I did it because I meant it. That's all."

He said abruptly, making her stop and look up to him. The annoying smirk was no more, as his usual warm smile, the smile that she loved, once again reigned on his face (and in her heart).

"I meant every word I said to you. What makes you think that I wouldn't want to take back what we had?"

He said taking a single step forward, leaving no space at all between them. She could see nothing but his chest, her heart thumped so loud, she was scared that he could hear it. Mikoto felt his arms rise and wrap themselves around her, enveloping her in a warm embrace.

"We don't need to start over Mikoto, because what we had, it was never really lost. We still had it in us, even during those 10 months, you were all I thought about, and I'm hoping...that for you…it's the same. So you have my answer Mikoto. I would be more than thankful, if you would come back into my life. Just come back to me, please?"

His every word made it deep into her heart. It sunk, almost painfully, as she felt warm and fuzzy inside. Her arms which were crossed over on her chest dropped to her sides, as she leaned her head against his chest, nearing the top of his shoulders.

"About Sumine-san…"

"Forget about that. I swear to you Mikoto, nothing happened. True, she took me home, but that was it. I don't know anything, but I'm sure nothing happened. I love you, I would never do anything to hurt you."

And that was it.

Mikoto felt her eyes tear up, as she buried her face into his chest, as her arms went to his back, hugging him tighter by the second. She gripped the back of his shirt tightly, as if she was never letting him go. And maybe, just maybe, that might be the case.

Touma took a step back, breaking away from their hug. Mikoto looked up to him in fear. Didn't he feel the same? Was she misinterpreting things again? She was confused, paranoid. But Touma only smiled.

"You're crying again."

He said wiping away a bead of water falling from her eyes, something she didn't notice, until she felt the puffiness in her eyes. Mikoto was left speechless. She didn't know what to do anymore. Someone as smart as her was at a loss of thought in this situation.

"Tears weren't made for girls like you. But hey, you still look pretty damn cute, so who am I to complain huh?"

He said with a small laugh as she held her face, lightly kissing her forehead. Mikoto scrunched her forehead and pouted unwillingly.

"I know what that look means Mikoto."

Touma said knowingly, making Mikoto blush more. To which he only laughed.

"I was going to do it anyway you know."

He said snapping her out of her trance. Mikoto was about to say something, but was stopped when a pleasant feeling came up and brushed upon her lips. Time felt frozen as the both of them stood there, kissing one another. Mikoto closed her eyes, as she brought her hands to his chest, and somehow, they ended up wrapping themselves around Touma's neck.

If you were to be asked, what is a kiss?

A mere expression of emotion? A languid form of affection? A simple activity of the mouth? A lot of people have a lot of answers, but one thing can be summed from all of them.

A kiss comes from love.

Without love, then it would mean nothing but mere contact of the lips. And just like what's happening now, a kiss was brought out from true, pure, hard-earned love. Love that was trialed and tested. Love that was put through heaven and hell. Love that was brought apart, but now, is brought back together. Love…love that is envied by many, and will be once again put to test, like now.

"Well. Now this wasn't what I expected."

A voice said, making the two stop, break away and catch their breaths. To Touma, the man who entered was unfamiliar (though he did feel something weird about him), but to Mikoto, this was a whole new story.

"Wh-Wha-why are y-you here?" she asked, as the young man with black hair and onyx black eyes wearing a green sweater, white undershirt and jeans came closer and grabbed her hand, pulling her away from Touma.

"I'm here to take you back Miko." He said kissing her hand. He looked over to Touma who was now glaring at him and smiled.

"Pleased to meet your acquaintance Kamijou Touma-san."

"Who the hell are you and what are you to her?"

Touma muttered grimly. Mikoto looked back and forth at them, confused at what to do, until the man spoke.

"The name's Aizawa Hiromi. Miko's **new **and **current **_**boyfriend**_."

**-chapter end-**

**What was happening while I was typing the ending part:**

**My friend: We should probably do something about-**

**Me: Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod…..**

**My friend: Are you listening?**

**Me: No, I'm typing. Be quiet.**

**My friend: YOU called ME!**

**Me: OH MY- UGH! I want to strangle that pretty little neck of his! Ugh! How dare he! How dare he!**

**My friend: Chill dude…. It's just a story.**

**Me: IT AINT JUST A STORY! IT'S MY LIFE SO SHUT THE HECK UP!**

**My friend: Dude, you're the freaking writer! Just change it if you don't like it!**

**Me: *stares at my phone(this is a voice call)* I don't know what you're talking about. *hangs up***

**I don't know why but I found that weird and funny. Anyway, OH MY GOD! Ahahahahaha! They finally kissed and made up! Ahhh~! Now, me very very happy! Ahahahahah!**

**Well, I've still got a lot to do, so bye for now!**

**Please leave a review! Thanks for reading! Ja!**


	26. Mikoto is-- WHAT!

**Waa~ Thank you so much for all the support this story has received! Well, here goes the 26****th**** chapter! Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 26

"Well. Now this wasn't what I expected."

A voice said, making the two stop, break away and catch their breaths. To Touma, the man who entered was unfamiliar (though he did feel something weird about him), but to Mikoto, this was a whole new story.

"Wh-Wha-why are y-you here?" she asked, as the young man with black hair and onyx black eyes wearing a green sweater, white undershirt and jeans came closer and grabbed her hand, pulling her away from Touma.

"I'm here to take you back Miko." He said kissing her hand. He looked over to Touma who was now glaring at him and smiled.

"Pleased to meet your acquaintance Kamijou Touma-san."

"Who the hell are you and what are you to her?"

Touma muttered grimly. Mikoto looked back and forth at them, confused at what to do, until the man spoke.

"The name's Aizawa Hiromi. Miko's **new **and **current **_**boyfriend**_."

The man, now known as Aizawa Hiromi said with a confident smirk gracing his lips. Mikoto turned to face him with wide eyes, while Touma just stared at him.

"What?"

He muttered. Hiromi shrugged his shoulders before sighing and placing a hand on his waist.

"Are you that much of a Paleozoic era person to not even comprehend what I'm saying?"

"Hiromi, stop this right now!"

Mikoto said breaking away from Hiromi's grip, hands held close to her heart.

"Who is he Mikoto? Is he even speaking Japanese?"

Touma asked from the sidelines. Mikoto just gave him the 'shut up' look, to which he unwillingly followed.

"Anyway Hiromi, WHY are YOU here? In Academy City! In a place where you shouldn't be?!"

"Aren't you the accusing one today?"

Hiromi answered coolly, making Mikoto break a fuse.

"Accusing?! I'm the accusing one?!" she asked in an irritated tone. "You were the one who told Touma that we were in a relationship?!"

"Well, aren't we in one?"

"We are, but not in that kind of relationship! You're my best friend Hiromi."

Mikoto answered with her head held low. Hiromi just stared at her as Touma watched their awkwardness fill the room. He was about to be an ice breaker, but Hiromi beat him to it.

"But to me, you're not just my best friend Miko. You're more than that."

He said walking over to Mikoto and taking her right hand. He held the bracelet she wore on her wrist. A simple chain bracelet with a lock on its end. A bracelet which he had given her, both in the past and present.

"This bracelet…it's a proof of my love for you. Not just love of a friend, but the love of a true lover. One that would never hurt you. One that would always protect you. One that will always be by your side, unlike that little b-st-rd over there."

Hiromi said, obviously pointing to Touma, who just grunted and glared at him.

'_Ugh…this guy better be thankful that Mikoto's here. Or else I would've busted up his jaw pretty good… I'm the little b-st-rd? Oh please you-'_

Touma's thoughts got cut off, when Mikoto took a step back, and accidentally bumped into him.

"Ah! I'm sorry!" she said startled. "I just…I just…"

"Hey, relax BiriBiri. It's okay." He said with a smile. "Let me handle this one okay?"

He said, gently pulling her backwards, so that he could be standing face to face with Hiromi. Mikoto tired to argue it off, but after noticing the atmosphere change, she knew that whatever she was about to do may just make things worse. Sparks could clearly be seen between them, despite the fact that both were not electro masters, they were both level 0's after all.

"Okay, now let's talk things over shall we? Aizawa Hiromi."

"You need not bother me with your idle chit chat, Kamijou-san. Miko has fully explained everything there is to know about the situation we are in."

"If so, then you-"

"And I frankly do not give a sh-t."

He said interrupting him, making both Touma and Mikoto stare at him in surprise.

"Excuse me?" Touma said trying to sound polite. "What the hell were you saying?"

"Oh, don't be so stupid Kamijou-san!" he said dramatically. "We all know that you two were Academy City's most inspiring love story. But that was then, and this is now. I will not give a sh-t about what you had, so don't give a sh-t about what we have and will continue to have."

"You don't have anything!"

"And what makes you say that?" Hiromi said taking a step. "What makes you so sure that Miko and I haven't had anything? That we haven't shared anything that you have? 10 months is a very long time Kamijou-san. "

Hiromi said confidently, ticking Touma off. He grabbed Hiromi's collar angrily and said,

"Listen you-"

"Excuse us~!"

Two voices said cheerily. The two boys turned their attention to the door and saw two girls, dressed in the same high school uniform, carrying a lot of plastic bags with them.

"Ah! Kamijou-san! You were back already?" The one with the flower headband asked with a smile.

"Oh, hi there. Uiharu-san, Saten-san, how have you girls been doing?"

Touma answered with a smile, letting go of Hiromi's collar, while the man in question was just staring at the two new entries to the scene.

"Oh we've been fine Kamijou-san! Judgment has been keeping Uiharu and Shirai-san busy, but I'm as free as a bee." The other girl, with the long black hair named Saten Ruiko answered. "Ah? Who is this guy? Oh, and Misaka-san! You're awake? And…is that Shirai-san? Why is she sleeping here?"

Saten bombarded with questions. Just as energetic as usual, they all thought. Before Touma or Mikoto could say anything, Hiromi faced the two girls and smiled at them.

"Well, it's very nice to formally meet the both of you, Kazari-san and Ruiko-san. I hope that you don't mind that I call you by your name. Miko's stories about your adventures really make me feel close to you."

"Ah. I guess that's alright then… uhm?" Saten asked tilting her head to the side.

"Oh, it's Hiromi. Aizawa Hiromi to be precise. I'm Miko's childhood friend. Pleasure to meet you."

"Ah! So you're the famous Hiromi-san?! You're definitely the prince-like figure I pictured!" Uiharu said dreamily, as she and he began their pointless talk on about being all proper and prince-like stuff. Meanwhile, Saten walked over to Mikoto and Touma, who seemed to be in relief.

"Were the two of you fighting Kamijou-san?"

Saten asked, making Mikoto gulp nervously.

"Ah..no…nothing of that sort Saten-san. It was just a little misunderstanding, that's all." Mikoto explained, while Touma just huffed, earning him a glare from the level 5 .

'_Oh this is definitely news worthy… Level 5 love mishap! Torn between best friend and boyfriend?... yeah, that's a pretty good heading. Oh man! I could get rich with this!"_

Saten thought evilly in her mind. She then glanced over to Uiharu, who was getting excited, just by talking to Hiromi, then turned her gaze to Kuroko who was sound asleep.

"Shirai-san sure is sleeping soundly…"

"Tell that to the bug zapper beside me." Touma said sarcastically motioning towards Mikoto, who just planted her elbow in his stomach.

"Please don't mind him Saten-san… anyway, Kuroko should be fine, it was just a mild shock treatment."

"Oh, but Shirai-san isn't asleep because of that Misaka-san." Saten said, making the two look back at her. "Eh? You didn't know? Shirai-san was so busy with the cases involving Misaka-san's name being mentioned in that site. Plus, when whatever that thing's effect wore off, things got even crazier. People said that they saw you suddenly disappear from the park, and then there were loud rumbling noises coming from everywhere. Shirai-san has been working hard and non-stop these past few days. I don't even know if she sleeps."

"Eh? You mean Kuroko doesn't eat or sleep at all? Just because of those cases involving me?"

"Well yeah. But don't you worry Misaka-san! Me and Uiharu were there all along. We made sure that she ate properly and slept enough, but I can't be too sure when were not around though."

Saten said thoughtfully. Mikoto sighed, before looking over to Kuroko.

"Really…you big idiot… worrying over me won't make anything better." She said walking over and raising her blankets a bit.

"You're one to talk." Touma said coming up beside her, placing his hand on her head. Saten just smiled in the background, deciding not to ruin their moment."But you really can't blame her. She cares about you, A LOT. That's something to be thankful for you know?"

"I know that…but sometimes…I just wish she would just step back a bit. She's getting herself in trouble."

"Sigh, really Mikoto-"

"EHEM." A fake cough resounded in the room, snapping all of its inhabitants, including the sleeping Kuroko back to their senses. They all turned and saw Hiromi, hands on his waist, raising an eyebrow at them.

"What is it Hiromi?"

Mikoto asked, tilting her head to the side. Kuroko rubbed her eyes and yawned gracefully. Before she finally noticed the presence of another man in the room.

"W-W-W-WHO I-I-IS TH-TH-THAT ONEE-SAMA?!"

She said accusingly, pointing her trembling fingers at Hiromi who just blinked his eyes repeatedly, wondering what was going on. Kuroko had jumped from her position on the bed, to Mikoto's side, clinging onto her arm like a monkey.

"O-OI! KUROKO!"

"Onee-sama~!" Kuroko exclaimed with a pout matched with a thumb suck. (Similar to the one she used in the silent party arc when she tried to imitate Febri). Mikoto's eye twitched irritably as she just glared at the younger girl.

"Onee-sama~ I'm you're only partner right? Kuroko is the one and only right?" she cooed. Mikoto just sighed before shaking the girl off her arm.

"Really Kuroko, stop jumping into conclusions. His name is Aizawa Hiromi. He's my childhood friend, remember? The one I told you about before?"

Mikoto explained. Kuroko looked at him, scanned him from head to toe as she squinted her eyes, eyeing him VERY carefully.

"Hmm….he is undoubtedly better looking than Kamijou-san, as expected…" Kuroko commented, making Hiromi smirk and Touma giver off a bitter expression.

"Hey." He said bitterly, matching his face. The three girls were left to laugh at the three people fighting for Mikoto's affection, though one of the candidates was technically disqualified.

"Humph, I shall withhold any further judgment for now. To see is to believe after all." Kuroko said with a heavy heart. "Oh, Onee-sama, I forgot to tell you something."

"Ah? What is it?"

"Uiharu, do you have the letter?" Kuroko asked, turning to their flower headed friend. Uiharu jerked upon hearing her name.

"Uhm…ah…hai!"

She said hurriedly searching her school bag for said letter. It's content made Mikoto curious. What could it be? For it to be in a letter and be delivered by Judgment, surely it had to be something big.

"Ah! Here it is!" Uiharu said cheerfully as she took out a medium sized envelope, with golden linings and a red seal in front of the flaps. She passed it onto Kuroko, who in turn gave it to Mikoto. Mikoto then accepted it with a thanks, before carefully removing the seal and taking out the letter.

"Hmm….let's see."

* * *

To: Miss Misaka Mikoto

Good day! We apologize if this letter has arrived on such short notice. We are very much aware that you have just returned from an exchange student program in England last week, and this, for us to say, is mostly our fault.

There will be a party. A party for the seven elites of Academy City.

It has a very special purpose, and we would rather not disclose it in a letter such as this. You may not be allowed to bring anyone but yourself, for privacy's sake, if not for certain circumstances which may require you to have one.

We hope that the secrecy revealed in this letter will not hinder you from your participation in this activity. Please wear casual clothes and be at the highest level of Academy City's Sky Tower at XXXXXX on XXXXXX. The top floor has been reserved especially for the party and the selected guests. Do not worry; other people will be attending, so murders are most likely to be avoided.

If you have any further questions for trivial matters, then please just approach the head of the Judgment branch 177. Basic facts have been explained to her.

We look forward to basking in your presence at this wondrous event.

Approved by:

Academy City's Board of Directors and Alesteir Crowley, Academy City's General Director.

* * *

"This letter basically spells trouble…ugh…"

Mikoto grunted as she sat down on her bed. She had read the letter aloud, so that everyone could understand, and not push her for information on what it was.

"I'm not one to talk Onee-sama, but don't you think that staying with the other level 5's is dangerous?" Kuroko asked thoughtfully.

"I can probably vouch for Accelerator, but for everyone else…uuuuhhh" Touma shuddered at the thought of seeing all the killing machines of Academy City. They were freaking monsters. They could kill with just a flick of their finger. Having them all in one place was sure to be hell. (Having two in one place was hell enough, what more could it be for all seven?)

"Ah! Wait! Doesn't that mean that you'll need a new dress Misaka-san?" Saten asked as starts literally glittered in her eyes.

"Huh? But why? I already have tons of dresses at the dorm. Like the one I used in the past music festivals, demonstrations here and abroad, Tokiwadai's balls and a whole lot of other events." Mikoto explained as-a-matter-of-factly.

"But Misaka-san, this party is special!" Uiharu said as starts glittered in her eyes too. "It's a once in a lifetime opportunity! Maybe if you dress nicely, the other level 5's will revere you like the others!"

She said, imagining Mikoto in a goddess like dress, while the other level 5's wearing casual clothes were bowing down before her. Mikoto shuddered at the thought of the other level 5's revering her.

"Ugh…I'd rather that we hate one another than that. I'm much more used to the 'I'm gonna kill you' vibe we give one another…"

"That's not very healthy Mikoto…" Touma said, commenting from the sidelines as he looked at her worriedly.

"Huh. Says the guy who is surrounded by people who had wanted and are still trying to kill him."

She retorted, looking away from him. Touma cringed as he thought for another comeback, which later turned into a completely baseless argument. The other three girls just watched with sighs and soft smiles, laughing at their antics every now and then.

'_Ugh…this is annoying…Kamijou Touma really is such a hindrance…now what can I do to get rid of him….'_

He thought, he looked around for any clues, until his eyes fell on the invitation in Mikoto's hands.

'_Bingo_.'

He said with an evil smirk. He cleared his throat, making everyone turn to him.

"Well, since, as Ruiko-san and Kazari-san said, this is a special occasion, why don't we all go on a shopping trip? Surely Academy City has the finest choice of clothing, does it not?"

"Ah! Yes! Of course we do! There xxxxxxx, oh and xxxxxxx! Ah! And that cute little dress shop called xxxxxx!"

Kazari's list went on and on, while the others just watched in pure amazement. Who knew that such a simple girl could know so many dress shops? After a while, she still wasn't done, so Hiromi had to do something about it.

"-xxxxxx. There's also xxxx and then we have xxxxx! OHH! And there's xxxxx and xxxxxxx that has the same options at xxxxx! The-"

"WELL!" Hiromi said rather loudly, interjecting her. "Since Kazari-san knows so much, why don't we get started right away? If you want, I could even treat you girls to some dresses as well! Surely pretty ladies such as yourselves need formal dresses for different occasions right?"

"Ah, but we couldn't…Hiromi-san, that would be-" Saten tried to answer.

"Oh, please! Don't worry about it! think of it as a sign of my gratitude for taking care of Miko for the entire time I wasn't around okay Oh, and I'm nowhere close to being a scrooge. So feel free!

Hiromi said. The others were left to think, things were kept in silence, until Mikoto spoke up.

"Well, it has been a while since we all hung out. Plus I've been getting hospitalized way too much recently, it would be the least we could do to thank you girls…"

She said looking at the reaction of her friends. Touma didn't care, Kuroko was indifferent, drooling about seeing her Onee-sama in a revealing dress, while the other two were obviously excited. Mikoto smiled, before turning to Hiromi.

"Looks like you've got a riot on your hands Hiromi. I hope you're ready for it."

She said with a challenging look. Hiromi smiled playfully, as if accepting her challenge. Touma then yawned loudly, making everyone turn to him this time. They all waited until his yawning stopped.

"Touma!" Mikoto shrieked.

"Okay, look, I know it might've sounded like I was trying to piss him off, but seriously, it was an accident. Sorry dude."

He said raising both of his hands to the air. Hiromi still looked pretty pissed, but he just grunted and let it go.

"Sigh…now that we avoided yet another argument, I guess it's time that we fix your discharge paperwork then huh? We've got an entire afternoon of shopping to do."

Touma said standing up lazily. He then stretched his arms before yawning again.

"You're pretty tired aren't you Kamijou-san?" Uiharu commented. "We don't know what happened, but you probably haven't properly rested ever since you came back huh? Heaven Canceller-san told us that you were watching over Misaka-san all night again."

"Ah! No! Uiharu-san don't-!" Touma tried to stop her but, as usual, he was unfortunate enough to be too late.

"Oh? He has now, has he?" Mikoto asked with an irritated look as sparks flew from her bangs. Touma gulped nervously as he watched her move closer to him, taking menacingly slow steps.

"You…" she said grimly. "HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU NOT TO DO THAT?!"

She shouted, releasing all her electricity at him, only to be negated by his right hand. Everyone watched in amusement as Touma reflexively put out his right arm. While the two bickered, Kuroko noticed something weird in Hiromi's behavior. He was staring at them, his eyes keeping a close track on Touma's movements. He didn't even flinch, or even show hints of shock when Touma negated Mikoto's electricity.

"Well, now you seem to be taking this in pretty good, aren't you Aizawa-san? Too good to be exact."

She said eyeing him suspiciously again. Hiromi turned to face her with an innocent expression, one that made her even more suspicious.

"Ara? Oh, Miko has already told me stories of all of you, so now, despite not seeing it first-hand, I guess you could say that I already expected all of this to happen, hence, my state of non-shock at the moment!"

He explained. Kuroko muttered an 'Oh.' before turning to face the fighting couple-friend-tandem or whatever. But right from the corner of her eyes, she watched him.

'_This man…something is terribly wrong about him…but I can't put my finger on it…'_

She thought. He was weird. There was something wrong, and she would be the one to find out. She would be the one to protect her onee-sama. This time for sure.

* * *

"Oi, are you guys really sure about this?"

Touma asked once more, as they all stood in front of the bus station, waiting for the bus to arrive.

"Of course we are. Just go home and rest you stupid idiot." Mikoto said irately. "You haven't slept in a while, and the moment you do, I wake you up and disturb you."

"But-"

"No but's! You are going to rest, and you will not show your face to me for the rest of the day you hear?"

She said pointing a finger at him and looking at him demandingly. Touma couldn't do anything but sigh, as he saw the bus turning the corner. Right after finishing the needed paperwork, Mikoto had forced Touma to go home, saying that he needed to rest, and that he didn't need to worry, because she would be with Hiromi and her friends. She said all of those things, not knowing that she just made him worry even more.

"Sigh, well, I guess I'll have to leave her in your care then girls. " He said to Saten, Uiharu and Kuroko. He dint even acknowledge Hiromi's presence which was right behind Mikoto. "Please take care of her okay?"

"There's no need to tell us that Kamijou-san! We'll take care of Misaka-san over here!" Saten said putting an arm over Mikoto, who wobbled with the sudden force.

"Yes, that's right Kamijou-senpai. You can count on us!" Uiharu added with a smile.

"Surely, you must not remind me of that Kamijou-senpai." Kuroko answered, huffing her more or less ample chest. "I am Onee-sama's herald! I have said this before, and yet I shall say it again! I will take care of her and protect her with my life! Onee-sama is my life and soul! I shall not let even the smallest of impurities taint her skin! I am the only one who will be able to taint her! In ways that even you cannot—"

"Okay! That's enough out of you Shirai-san." Touma said with an irritated face, as the bus came and stopped in front of him. He heaved another sigh, before sparing Mikoto one last glance. She just smiled at him, motioning her hands to keep going.

"I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow then. Have fun."

He bade as he stepped on the first step into the bus with a wave. Before making another step, he turned back and looked at Hiromi, who just cocked a brow at him.

"Ugh…I expect you to take care of BiriBiri _**as a friend**_, Aizawa-san."

"Oh, do not worry Kamijou-san. I'll _**take care**_ of her."

Hiromi answered back with an irritating smile, while placing an arm around Mikoto, who was now being squished by Saten and Hiromi. He just grunted before stepping inside and taking his seat by the window. He watched as everyone bade him and waved goodbye to the bus. He made a small wave himself, before slumping on his chair.

"Ugh…I hate it when this happens…When Mikoto says it..I just have to follow it huh?"

He grunted again. His pride as a man was getting ripped into shreds here! He should be the one with authority! Not her! Well, but that's the 21st century for you. And plus, he didn't mind it actually. As long as he saw Mikoto happy, then he was fine with anything.

But then THAT GUY just had to enter the scene.

It was evident from the phone call 10 months ago that they would not get along very well. And now, the b-st-rd was here in Academy City. Just how messed up can things get?

"Haa~ Such Misfortune…"

* * *

Something was wrong.

Something was wrong, and Misaka Mikoto knew this, right from the moment she had woken up. Something felt wrong with her body. It was as if she was living in a body she wasn't used to. Sure that sounded completely illogical, but that was the best way to describe her feelings.

And going out on a shopping trip just made it worse.

She had only agreed to it because she knew that her friends would notice that something was wrong with her if they just stay put in one place. Then Hiromi made the suggestion and BOOM! Her problem was solved. But it wasn't as easy as it sounded. Trying to act like everything is okay is very difficult, especially when you feel like you don't fit into your own body.

As of now, the girls were too busy choosing dresses for her to try on. They'd been doing this routine for nearly five hours now. It remained a mystery to her as to how her friends never seemed the tiniest bit of tired form this strenuous activity. In all honesty, she hated that part of shopping. Taking off your clothes, trying on a weird set of clothes, going out and showing off, then taking them off and wearing your own clothes, then they find another one to make you try on and the cycle is just endless. Girls have it so hard!

"Sigh…Such Misfortune…"

She silently cried out as she slumped on one of the comfortable cushioned seats inside the store.

"Oh come now Miko, don't say that." Hiromi's voice called out. "Everyone's having fun now right?"

He asked with a smile. Mikoto sat up properly, before shooting him a glare. One that made him blink in curiosity.

"Don't think for a second that I've forgotten about what you said to Touma, Hiromi. That wasn't very nice."

"What? About us being in a relationship? It's fine right?" he said sitting down next to her. "Everything worked out fine in the end. I'm pretty sure that he's furious and jealous as heck right now."

"You LIED to the poor guy Hiromi."

"It won't seem like a lie of if materialize it, Miko."

"Relationships can't be materialized you idiot. It isn't a thing that you can just hold or play with." Mikoto said sternly.

"Well, isn't someone very stingy today? What's the matter granny?" he said jocularly.

"That wasn't funny Hiromi! You know very well that I hate lying to people! And plus, we talked this over! We're best friends Hiromi. That's all we'll ever be."

Mikoto said as she stood up, after seeing Saten wave to her, meaning they found a dress for her to try on. She walked away, as a smile made its way to her lips, upon seeing her friend seem excited over something.

Her head started to hurt, but she pushed it away as she made her way towards her friends.

* * *

"We're best friends Hiromi. That's all we'll ever be."

Mikoto's voice echoed in Hiromi's head as he watched him walk away. Wow, talk about hurtful. After a 14-year friendship, falling in love was definitely one of the paths that anyone might go through. Really, falling in love with your best friend really was the hardest thing in the world. (Next to trying to placate your angry girlfriend/mom/wife.)

"I already knew that, but you didn't have to rub it in Miko… It hurts more when you say it to my face."

He muttered under his breath as he watched her laugh with her friends and get pushed into one of the changing cubicles.

"And it's all because of that Kamijou Touma…"

He said grimly, as his eyes got covered by his bangs, leaving him with an aura of darkness and bad intents.

'_**Kill him…'**_ a voice in his head said repeatedly. _**'Kill him and the girl will be yours. Kill him…and her soul will be mine… kill him, and let the both of us have our happily ever after.'**_

It said. Hiromi raised his head, only to reveal dull, emotionless, lifeless eyes.

"K-kill…him….Kamijou Touma…"

* * *

"Ugh…No…not now!"

Mikoto muttered, as she gritted her teeth, trying to suppress any sound of pain from escaping her lips. They had found a dress for her and has asked her to wear it. It was a beautiful red sparkly dress that reached way past her feet. It had a cute little beaded flower right in the chest, which was held in between two strips of lace that would be tied around her neck. There were a few ruffles at the bottom, making it seem flow endlessly.

She had just finished showing it off to her friends, who then claimed that it was THE ONE. She was changing back into her casual clothes. A pink one piece dress with a grey knitted sweater over it, matched with white ribbon laced sandals. She hadn't worn her uniform since she did just get out from the hospital, and technically, she wasn't a student yet, since everything was still a mess.

But right as she was fixing her hair, that nauseating feeling came and took over her body again. This time, it was stronger than ever. Mikoto staggered to the curtain and took a deep breath, before stepping out hurriedly, nearly tripping off her own feet.

"Uhm…I' saw something cute somewhere so I'll be going for a bit okay? See you at the dorm Kuroko!"

She said hurriedly, without pause as she walked past and away from them, leaving a trail of dust. The three girls and Hiromi stared at her retreating figure.

"What was that all about?" Hiromi asked, but the others just shrugged, not really knowing either.

* * *

"Haa~ Being home alone has never been do boooring!"

Touma sighed as he lay on his bed. After being told by Mikoto to rest, he had fallen asleep right the very moment he returned to his humble home but after an hour, he woke up for some unknown reason. After four hours of fiddling with his phone, television and refrigerator, Kamijou Touma had officially declared himself as BORED.

Seriously, if he ever died, one of the things written on his epitaph would probably be 'DIED OUT OF BOREDOM' or something.

He wanted to call Mikoto and check up on her, but thought that she must be too busy. Besides, the girl would kill him if she found out that he was still worried about her. But what can a guy do huh?

BZZ* BZZT*BZZT*BZZT

"Agh….who could this bother be now?" he muttered as he fished his pocket for his phone. Upon taking it out and flipping it open, his eyes widened at the name of his caller. He immediately sat up straight and pressed the answer button.

"M-Mikoto?" He asked.

"O-Oh…h-hey Touma." She answered. Her voice was strained, like she had run a marathon, and was just catching her breath. Was something wrong? Did she get into trouble?

"Mikoto?! Where are you? What happened to you?"

"A-are you at home right now?" she asked, not even answering his questions.

"Yeah, I'm home but why are you asking that? Are you okay?! Hey! Mi-"

"I might come over in a bit. Bye."

She said simply then dropped the call. Well now that was short and definitely not sweet. Touma sighed as he scratched his head and sighed, before laying back on the bed, with his feet dangling off the sides.

"What is up with that girl? Serious-"

DING*DING

His doorbell rang, jerking him forward. Touma stared at the door, wondering if he was just imagining it or not.

DINE*DING*DING

It rang again. Touma sighed before standing up and walking over to the door.

"Huh? That's weird? Why'd they stop ringing? Don't people usually keep on ringing it until someone answers?"

He asked himself. As soon as he reached the door, he wondered about Mikoto again, before easily shrugging it off and turning the knob. He opened the door, swinging it the right way, until it was fully opened. But he did not see anyone of eye level.

"Ha? Must be some prank then….Kids these days…Such Misfortune…"

He said turning back, about to close the door.

"Thwis ishnt a pwank!"

A cute little voice said, making Touma turn and look at his doorstep again. He then noticed something like cloth laid out in front of his door. It was grey and pink, which somehow reminded him of Mikoto.

'_Huh, I could've sworn Mikoto was wearing these same colors just a while ago.'_

He thought. But then the heap of cloth suddenly moved about, making Kamijou Touma, a young man jerk from his position in shock.

"What the—"

Touma asked, before a head of brown locks appeared out of nowhere from the heap of clothes.

"Oh no….this…this isn't happening right?"

Touma laughed nervously, as he had a rough idea on what was happening. He kept on denying the reality of the situation, until he felt something grab the edge of his pants; he looked down nervously, only to regret the said action.

"Hewp mwe, Twoumaa…"

"WHAT THE F—MIKOTO?!"

**-chapter end-**

**Okay. So I now this might be clichéd, but hey, I just really had the urge to write this down. Well, hope you didn't hate me that much for ruining the KamiKoto moment in the last chapter… ahahahaha….**

**Now, who can guess what happened to poor old Mikoto-chan? Is the party really just a prty? What will happen now?**

**Ahahahaha, Imma feels funny again (wrong grammar intentional) hihihihihihihihihihi**

**Well, just a shout out to my friend Kenda! (again!) oh, if you want to have a shout out, just leave a review. I'll also answer your questions in the next AN okay?**

**Well, bye! Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review! Till next time! Ja!**


	27. How to deal with a mini Mikoto

**Hey! You know guys, I don't know why…but for some reason, pervertedness is a common thing in the chapters nowadays… What's up with that? Nyah, I'll just conclude that it's from the weirdness that my friends make me read on another story site. Really, I find them utterly weird…**

**Anyway, recently I've been hooked on Kami-sama Kiss… ever since I watched it on Animax (am I allowed to say that?) I've been addicted to it. But of course To Aru is still my number one. DUDES CHECK IT OUT! If you're a girl (my male classmates say that it's girly…buncha idiots…joke) and you have nothing against a couple having sweet moments (meaning you're not bitter) then please do watch it, or read the manga, though I myself haven't read it yet…**

**Waa~ TAKNR is nearing its end. And the final episode will be airing on OUR EXAM DAY. TT^TT how tragic for poor ol' me… I wanna die…**

**The shout outs will be posted at the end of this! Well, hope you enjoy! Sorry for my useless ranting**!

Chapter 27

"Oh no….this…this isn't happening right?"

Touma laughed nervously, as he had a rough idea on what was happening. He kept on denying the reality of the situation, until he felt something grab the edge of his pants; he looked down nervously, only to regret the said action.

"Hewp mwe, Twoumaa…"

"WHAT THE F—MIKOTO?!"

He shrieked, upon realizing who that small person was. Basically, she was too short to be Last Order, no one could play such a prank on him, and for some reason, he kinda thought that something messed up was bound to happen soon.

"Heeeey~ "

The little Mikoto said as she tugged on the edge of his pants more, as a little pout adored her cheeks. Touma was about to faint from too much exposure to cuteness. Is this what Accelerator feels like? Is this what pedophilism is? Oh wait, Accelerator would kill him if he finds out about his thoughts.

"Heey~ Twouma!" Mikoto called again.

"E-eh? Wh-what is it?"

"If wu don't gwet it aweady, I'm naked! Huwwy up! I'm gwetting cowd!"

She said, wrapping the fabric that lay on the floor around her small little frame. Touma realized this and picked up Mikoto's clothes, with the chibi-Mikoto along with it, carrying her inside his dorm room. He put her down on the bed and watched as she shuddered from the cold she was just in. It was in the middle of winter, and the poor little girl had been standing outside his door for about 5 minutes…naked. Touma blushed, but quickly shook his head.

"Uhm…so…a..are you okay?"

He asked awkwardly as he walked over to her and sat beside her on the bed.

"Shtupid Twouma…Of cwouse I'm not! Jwust look wat mwe! And now I'm tawking wike an widiot becwause of thwe shtupid cowd!"

"Oh, so you have a runny nose or something? If you want to sneeze I can get you tissues or something."

Touma said with a smile, placing his hand over her head, messing her hair a bit. He stopped briefly upon contact with the icy coldness from the little girl's head. He then looked at her face, noticing that it was a bit flushed.

"Hey, Mikoto, you should take a bath… Being out in the cold won't do you any good; you should warm up 'kay?"

He said standing up with a smile and walking over to his bathroom, to fix up her bath. Mikoto could only nod as she shuddered again.

"Waa~ Dwam cowd…mwaking mwe shound sho shilly…"

She said rubbing her nose with her clothes. Mikoto stared at her little hands. Her eyes glistening in sadness and confusion…

"Was….was thwis the wight choice? Shouwd I have invowved him ow not? Waa~ Wit's not wike I cwan do anything anymwore…"

She sighed, falling back on the bed, curling herself up in a ball.

"Hey! Mikoto!"

Touma's voice called from the bathroom. Mikoto only buried her face in the sheets sleepily before mumbling out an 'Hmm?'

"Uhm…things are still…pretty weird… I'm pretty sure that we have a lot of other things to deal with but…"

The sound of the running water stopped as Touma stepped out of the bathroom. Mikoto could only stare at him with a pouted look on her face.

"Uhmm…how ARE you going to take a bath? You're like…I don't know, 5 or something? Won't you drown or something like that?"

"Ha! Shtupid Twouma!"

The little Mikoto said as she sat up, before clambering down the bed and walking over to him, still holding her now oversized grey sweater over her body.

"I mway bwe a wittle kwid, but I'm shtill Mishaka Mwikoto! I can twake a bwath without dwoning!"

She said proudly, before stepping into the bathroom, closing the door behind her with a loud thud. Touma stared at the closed door for about 10 seconds, before sighing heavily.

"What the hell is going on? Why is Mikoto a little kid all of a sudden? Agh…this pointless! Sigh, might as well look for clothes she can actually use…her clothes are pretty much useless now that she's—eh? M-Mikoto's clothes?"

His head slowly creaked to turn to his right, staring at the pink heap of cloth that lay in his bed.

"Mikoto was a 17-year old well developed teenage girl just a few minutes ago…then she suddenly turned into a kid…and now her clothes are too big for her…:Does that mean…that even her….her underwear is IN that pile of clothes?"

Acts of pervertedness filled his mind, making him blush madly. Touma held his head tightly as he banged it against a wall.

"Agh! Damn it Kamijou Touma! Get your head straight! Mikoto's in a terrible situation right and…and THAT'S what you're thinking about?! God Kamijou! Prioritize the bigger issue here!"

He said hurriedly walking over to the bed, grabbing the clothes on it with his eyes closed, walking over to the laundry bin and dumping it into the hamper. He dusted off his hands as a smug look could be seen on his face.

"Ah! Very good Kamijou Touma! You have overcome the pervert inside of you! Now you are a true gentle man!"

He said proudly, as he strutted back to his closet, rummaging through it to find old clothes of his. Ones that would actually fit her. Technically, it was impossible, but at least it was something that would not make her look like a child dressing up as a ghost from curtains during Halloween.

After a while, he found a pair of pajamas with rockets and stars drawn on it. It was still too big for her, but it was better than not having anything to wear right?

"Hmm…I wonder….Is this mine or what? I don't have any memories from before I was 16…so I don't really know…Oh well… since it's here, might as well consider it mine then."

He said standing up and placing it on the bed. He then sighed as he stared at the mess he had created from rummaging through his closet. He was about o fix it all up, until her heard a female voice screaming from his bathroom.

"TOUUUMAAAA! Aghblffagblhh! HEEEY!"

Mikoto's voice screamed. Touma ran to the door, busting it open.

"Mikoto? Hey! Are you okay?!"

He asked worriedly as he waited for the steam in the bath to clear up. And when it did, he could only stare at the demeaning scene in front of him. He stared at the hazel haired little kid struggling against the small waves of the water inside the bathtub, which wasn't even that big.

Mikoto WAS drowning.

And more to that, her feet were tangled up with the hose of the showerhead. He didn't know how it happened, but for some odd reason, someone was actually more misfortunate than he was. The shower head was about a meter and a half above the bathtub! How the hell did it get down there?!

"Are you…aghblaghblff… just gonna stand there?! Agblffaghblfff… HELP ME!"

She screamed again. Touma slowly walked over to her, picking up the towel that was lying around and stopping in front of the bathtub.

"And who was the high-and-mighty Mishaka Mwikoto now huh?"

Touma said with a grin, imitating her earlier way of speaking. Mikoto could only shoot him a glare, making him shrug his shoulders before going over to pick the child up.

"Up you go!"

He said raising her up higher than needed, making the small girl cling to his arm.

"HEY! What's that for Touma?!"

She shouted as her bangs covered her face. But despite that, Touma knew she was blushing right now. Even as a child, Mikoto was still Mikoto.

"Oh relax will ya? I won't let anything happen to you. Now, we'd better hurry up and get you dry before you start getting cold again and speak 'wike thwishh'!"

Touma joked, walking out the bathroom with Mikoto in his arms. He set her down on the small table beside his bed, before walking over his desk to pick up a hair dryer (one which belonged to Mikoto, she left it once, when they were still together) and a comb and her make-shift clothes.

"Alright. Now, stand up and let me dry you off little kid."

Touma said as he plugged the hair dryer.

"No." Mikoto answered shortly.

"Eh? Why not?"

"Because!" She said with a blush, covering her body in the towel that she held. "You're still a guy you idiot! And I'm still a 17-year old teenager! The thought of you…drying me off…it's…it's!"

"Hey, relax. You're a little kid right now Mikoto. You're probably 5 or 6 or something. I'm not some pedophile you know. I'm not _that_ into loli's."

"That's not very reassuring."

"Oh? So would you prefer to catch a cold then? In this weather, you're bound to get sick you know…"

Touma reasoned, giving her stern look. Mikoto fiddled with her hands, before sighing.

"Alright fine. I give up…"

She said in defeat, standing up on the table, her face bright red. Her hands were trembling, probably from both the cold and the embarrassment. Touma ruffled his hair and sighed.

"Geez, you're making me look like I'm trying to molest you or something."

"I…I never said that!"

"Okay, okay. So, how about this? Why don't you turn around, and….I'll put a blind fold on okay? That sounds good to you?"

"Hm…I guess…Okay!"

She said with a smile, as she tilted her head to the side. Touma smiled as he shook his head. He grabbed one of his handkerchiefs, tying it around his head to cover his eyes. He heard small footsteps walking over to him.

"How many fingers do I have now?" Mikoto's voice asked cheerily, holding out two fingers.

"First of all Mikoto, you have 10 fingers on your hand. You've always had 10. But, based on what you're trying to do, I can't see anything okay?"

He said putting his hand up, searching for her head to pat. Mikoto realized this, so she blushed, before slowly taking his hand and placing it on her head. Touma smiled.

"Good girl. Let's get you fixed up okay? Then we can talk about this shi-, I meant, this mess that we're in."

Touma corrected himself, reminding himself that there was a child in the room. He didn't need her to have Accelerator's mouth. She was already enough trouble as she is…

* * *

"Okay…So let me get this straight.."

Touma said as he rubbed his temples, while sitting on the floor, his arms placed over the small table beside the bed. Mikoto sat on top of his bed, fidgeting in her seat, as she wore the button up shirt of Touma's pajamas. It was big enough to be an ankle length dress for her, so they decided to leave out the pants. On top of the table lay a plate of cookies.

"You felt weird ever since you woke up, so to hide it, you went on and agreed with Aizawa to go shopping. While shopping, you had a massive head ache, so you excused yourself and ran away. You knew something bad was gonna happen, so out of frustration you called me up. Knowing that I was home, you hurried over, using your powers, but as you walked towards the elevator, you felt yourself…shrinking, right?"

"Yeah. That much about sums it up. I hobbled as fast as I could to get to your door, but the moment I rang the doorbell, I shrinked into this! Believe it or not, that's the story."

Mikoto said as she ate her cookie. Touma just watched as the little girl enjoyed her delicacy, munching on it adorably.

"Haa~, well, it looks like we've got another problem to deal with. Why don't we call Josephine later okay?"

Touma said standing up.

"Ha? Why later? Can't you do it now?"

Mikoto asked, going down the bed carefully, but she lost her grip and ended up falling on her butt. Touma smiled before walking over to her and picking her up.

"We cant take matter seriously on an empty stomach right? It's already 7:30 you know. We should have some dinner first."

"You're cooking?"

"Yeah. Do you see anybody else with any culinary skill?" Touma said, hoping to poke some fun. But Mikoto's next actions surprised him greatly.

"YAY! I really missed Touma's cooking you know? Touma is the best cook! Touma is the best!"

She said happily hugging him around his neck, making his eyes widen in surprise. The girl giggled for a bit. Before blushing a deep shade of red and pulling back.

"Ah..I-I'm sorry! I just! I just-!"

Mikoto muttered, trying to avoid eye contact, something which made her even cuter. Touma smiled.

"Hey, it's okay. Why don't we go to the kitchen now? You can help if you want."

He said. Mikoto's face immediately brightened up as she nodded happily. Touma brought her over to the kitchen and wrapped an apron around her waist. He set up a stool beside him, before picking her up and setting her atop of it.

"Well, are you ready to get cooking, Mikoto?"

"Yes chef!"

Mikoto answered cheerfully, as she began washing the vegetables (that was all Touma allowed her to do. If an older version of her was a mess in the kitchen, what kind of damage could a kid do?!) Touma watched as Mikoto happily hummed a tune from Gekota's show. He knew this because he was forced to watch it with her, for more than a hundred occasions.

'_Aw heck. To hell with all those problems. I'll protect you Mikoto. I'll protect your smile. I swear.'_

He thought as he carried on with his cooking.

'_**You can't protect her, you know that.'**_ The voice in his head said again. Touma's face scrunched up and he grunted. Mikoto looked over to him, tilting her head to the side. he just smiled before placing a hand on her head, urging her to keep going, to which she happily obliged as she hummed her tune.

'_Just watch me you b-st-rd. Just watch me.'_

'_**Watch you fail? Or watch you cry out in despair when you finally realize that I was right all along? That you wouldn't be able to protect her. Destiny has been set Kamijou Touma. History will repeat itself."**_

"_Then with my own power, I'll break that sh-tty illusion of crap you call destiny.'_

He said, looking over to the girl he loved the most, smiling and singing happily as she washed the potatoes. Touma couldn't help the smile tugging on the ends of his lips. She was just too adorable.

He just loved her too much to let her go. Even while knowing that…it may all just be a lie.

* * *

"Hey, Mikoto, make sure that you eat your peas got it? Don't make me force feed them to you."

Touma said as he stood up and placed his dishes in the sink.

"Stingy Touma!" Mikoto said sticking her tongue out to him. Apparently, she wasn't that fond of vegetables, but Touma had forced her to eat it anyways. He even spoon fed her for that, despite all her whims.

"Yeah yeah, whatever you say kid." He said with a dismissive wave, picking his phone from the table. "Hey, I'm gonna call Josephine now ok? You better be finished when I come back. I'll just be on the balcony if you need me."

He said sliding the glass window to the balcony open. He walked out and was greeted by the chilly night breeze. He shuddered, before closing the window behind him. He didn't want the cold wind to get in, Mikoto was pretty vulnerable, being a little kid and all. He sighed before flipping his phone up, scrolling through the contacts in search of Josephine's name. When he finally came across it, he pressed the dial button and placed the phone to his ear, waiting for a response.

"Ah? Master Kamijou?" Josephine answered.

"Oh, hey Josephine. Sorry if I'm calling so late, wait, what time is it there anyway?"

"Relax Master, it's morning here. Oh, by the way, I have good news! Master Frie is responding!"

"Responding?" Touma asked as he looked over to Mikoto, who was giving off a sour face just from eating a single pea. He laughed, before turning to face the night view of his neighborhood.

"Yes. His fingers twitch every now and then, his pupils also move when exposed to light! Seems like his recovery is going well Master Kamijou!"

"Well, I'm glad for that Josephine…but..I'm sorry…I might ruin your happy mood with my questions.."

"Huh? What is it Master Kamijou? Has something happened?"

"Uh…I' mot really sure how to say this…but Mikoto…she turned into a kid."

"Oh? Is that so?" Josephine said calmly.

"Uh? Josephine? Why are you so calm about this?"

"It's to be expected Master Kamijou." Josephine answered. "Mistress Mikoto's body has undergone so many alterations because of Magna Valera and Cielo's powers. Some of it might have been stored in her, and now, it backfired, causing her to change physically. Just be glad that she didn't turn into an old woman Master."

"You've got a point…" Touma said imagining him taking care of a really old wrinkled woman. "But really? I mean, of all things, she had to be a child? Her normal mood swings are hard enough to handle, now she even has childish-"

"SHE'S WHAT?" Josephine exclaimed, making Touma's ear ring painfully.

"Why? Is there something wrong with her acting like…her current age?"

"That's exactly the problem!" She said worriedly, making Touma feel confused. "All that happened should only be enough to change her physical body, if her mentality changes as well, that means that her time is reversing completely!"

"Eh?"

"Tell me, how long has she been a child Master? Has Mistress Mikoto been acting like a child ever since?"

"From what I know, she's been like this…for about a little past 2 hours. That's the amount of time she's been in here. And Mikoto doesn't act like a kid all the time. She just…changes…like mood changes or something."

"Oh, well if that's the case, then you probably have about 2 days time to think of a way to fix her. If you don't revert her back to her former body, Mistress Mikoto will continue to grow backwards, until she turns into a week old fetus and just..die."

"Wait…you mean she's living her life backwards?"

"Yes. Pretty much. Listen Master, you must not let her out of your sight. Wherever she goes, you must go. Don't let her know about her current situation, it might cause unnecessary emotions that might speed up the process."

"S-speed up?"

Touma asked, but then heard the window sliding open. He turned back and saw Mikoto struggling against the cold wind.

"Mikoto!" He said bending down on one knee. "You shouldn't be out here, you'll catch a cold."

"Fuu~ I know that! But idiot Touma might catch a cold too!" she said puffing out her rosy, chubby cheeks. She turned back and pulled out the blanket that was on the bed.

"Taking care of sick idiot Touma would be very troubling. So here," she said placing it in his arms. "Use it, so you won't be cold." She said in her usual tsundere way, turning her head away from him. Touma smiled, despite the worry eating at him. He placed the blanket around his shoulder, before facing her with a smile.

"Thanks Mikoto. Now, I won't be cold. But you should go inside now okay? Hurry up and finish your food."

He reminded, making Mikoto grunt before stomping away back to the table. Touma slid the window closed, before turning back to his phone.

"You heard that right?" he said.

"Yes. She definitely sounded like Mistress Mikoto, but was so unlike her at the same time. As much as possible, treat her like she's still 17 okay? Don't let her-"

"Find out about what's really happening. Protect her and keep her safe. Am I right?"

Touma interrupted. He heard Josephine sigh, before she spoke up.

"Please be careful Master Kamijou. You can be just as reckless, maybe even more than Mistress Mikoto. Don't get too headstrong. What you know is merely the gist of what really is."

She reminded. Touma looked out the scenery before him. Academy city really was a peaceful place. If only life was really that easy.

"Yeah, I know." Touma sighed. "I know."

He said hanging up on her. He took one last breath before entering the dorm. He was about to call for Mikoto, but then noticed that she wasn't there.

"Mikoto?!"

He immediately panicked, dropping the blankets to the floor and running inside.

"MIKOTO!"

"Wha- UWAH!"

-CRASH—

A loud crashing sound was heard, making Touma temporarily stop breathing before running over to the kitchen, only to find Mikoto lying on the floor, surrounded by broke plates.

"Mikoto! What the hell were you thinking huh?!"

He said hurrying over, picking her up and bringing her to the living room once more. his tone sounded angry, but his worry for her was the most evident of all.

"Oh god Mikoto! What were you trying to do huh? Just what was it were you trying to do?!"

"I…I just..w..wanted to cl-clean the d-dishes!" she said as her eyes teared up. Touma let go of her shoulders and stared at her, all his anger being drifted away by the wind.

"Y-you seemed…really worried…when y-you were t-talking to J-Josephine. I…I just wanted to…make Touma happy….I…I'm sorry…."

She said crying. Her little arms brushed away her tears as Touma could only watch her. He sighed, before going closer and hugging the crying little girl.

"Shhh…hey….I'm sorry for shouting…I'm really sorry okay?" He said stroking her head. "I was just…really worried about you, you know? Josephine said that what you're experiencing now is normal. It should wear off in a few days. I just got worried for your sake…I'm sorry too."

"I-in a few days?" Mikoto repeated, breaking away from the hug. "B-but what about the party?"

"Party? Party for what?"

"Have you forgotten?! The one for the level 5's! The party tomorrow!"

Mikoto said worriedly. Touma thought about this, before he dropped his head in absolute dread.

"Oh crap we're dead…" he muttered. His dark aura was cut off by croaking sounds. The two of them looked around before Touma finally realized it.

"You bought a new phone, which was exactly the same as your old one?"

He asked accusingly.

"N-no I didn't! The one I bought was a limited edition Gekota version 2.0! It's a step up from my older one!"

"I'm surprised Shirai-san even let you buy that. She would've—"

Both Touma and Mikoto stopped as they realized the great hurdle right in front of them.

"UhmmmTouma?" Mikoto asked. "How are we gonna tell Kuroko?"

"Such Misfortune…"

He sighed before going over to the laundry bin. Her phone was right on top of it, so he didn't have to rummage through his laundry. He picked up her new Gekota phone, which was pretty much the same as her old one, only this time, it had a different strap. Staring at it, Touma's eyes widened before he smiled, turning to Mikoto.

"Ne, BiriBiri…" He called. Mikoto looked at him curiously, before noticing the thing in Touma's hands. Her face immediately turned fifty shades of red, as she scrambled to her feet and ran over to Touma. Jumping up and down, trying to reach the phone which Touma held up.

"Give it –oof- to me! Touma!"

She shouted, sounding an 'Oof' every now and then due to her jumps. Touma could only laugh as he watched both the little Mikoto and the strap on his hand.

"And you said that you only bought mine on impulse…" he said bending over, so that he could be face to face with her. Mikoto's face turned even brighter as she looked back at him.

"If so, then tell me why you have the same Gekota keychain? One that looks a lot like you, while I have one that looks a lot like me? Mind explaining that, eh BiriBiri?"

"No! Just give to back to meeeee!"

She shouted back, reaching for the phone. She leaned in forward too much, causing her to fall on Touma, which made him lose his balance. Both of them fell on the floor, with Mikoto being on top of Touma's chest, as Touma continued to laugh his butt off.

"This is rich! Ahahahahah! You sure haven't changed now have you Mikoto? Still a tsundere, never being honest with yourself…"

He said as he wiped off tears of laughter in his eyes. Mikoto only pouted, as she blew on her cheeks, making them look even chubbier. Touma smiled warmly at her, before placing his right hand on her face, caressing her cheek as his fingers played with some of its strands.

"I just wish that some things didn't change Mikoto…" he whispered, almost inaudible. "I just want things to stay the way they are…without having you suffer…"

"Touma you-"

"That's impossible Kami-yan." An intruding voice said, snapping the two of them out of utopia. "Unless you want to re write the entire world of course."

Touma sat up, making Mikoto fall to his lap as he turned around to face his double-agent friend.

"Tsuchimikado?!"

"Yo! It's been awhile!" Tsuchimikado Motoharu said as he walked inside the door non chalantly. "Well, seems like you two are enjoying this predicament huh?" He asked mischievously as he sat down on the floor in front of the table. Mikoto and Touma blushed before shouting, "SHUT UP!" in total synchronization. Tsuchimikado only laughed it off as he waited for the both of them to be seated as well.

Touma actually understood this, so he picked Mikoto up and walked over to the bed, placing her down, before he sat on it himself.

"So? What kind of sh-t are we facing now?" Touma asked.

"Ah, very nice Kami-yan. Still as sharp as usual."

"Humph. You don't need a rocket scientist to know that something is going on…" Mikoto muttered under her breath as she glared at Tsuchimikado. "What the heck do you know?" she added.

"First of all, please allow me to say this. You're really cute right now Misaka-chan. You might wanna hide from Aogami, if you don't want him to kidnap you."

"Shut up you jerk."

"Hey, hey. Knock it off guys. Mikoto, please don't pick a fight, and Tsuchimikado, you know what pushes Mikoto. Don't do anything that would alright?"

Touma said, trying to be a peacemaker, as his gaze went back and forth to the other people in the room. Mikoto only huffed indignantly as Tsuchimikado smiled.

"Okay, whatever you say Kami-yan. Anyway, I'm here to tell you something, Misaka-chan. A warning as you'd call it."

"Warning?" Mikoto asked facing him. "What kind?"

"The party tomorrow? It's dangerous. Academy City made a decision, which is something the other level 5's, probably even you, won't like. And chances are, they might take their anger out on you. It's really dangerous, especially now that you're…that little munchkin…"

"Tsuchimikado, what the hell are you talking about?" Touma asked seriously. One after another, things just kept on piling up! Can't they take a break?!

"It's about the rankings of the level 5's. We all know that Accelerator is the number one, followed by Kakine Teitoku, then Misaka-chan over here as third. There's Mugino Shizuri, then Shokohou Misaki, the mysterious number 6, and then finally, the gemstone Sogiita Gunha. What do you think would happen if they suddenly rumbled it all up, just because of one little fight that cameras caught on tape?"

"Wait—are you saying that-" Mikoto's eyes widened in realization, as Touma was still left to ponder about it. Tsuchimikado smiled.

"Even as a child, your mind is something to be feared Misaka-chan. A fully grown man over here can't even understand it, but you can."

"Just answer me already! Done tell me….are they planning to raise my rank just because of that fight with Ave-san?!"

Mikoto asked standing up on the bed. Touma stared at her, before turning her gaze back to Tsuchimikado.

"She's right Kami-yan. Hmmm…I don't know if this is the right thing to say right now but…" Tsuchimikado bent over to the television, grabbing the remote and switching it on. The news channel of Academy City had flashed Mikoto's picture, and a rather ominous lead to it.

"As I said, I don't know if this is the right thing to say but, congratulations. Miss new Number One."

'_**Number 3 to Number 1! 2**__**nd**__** year high school student, Misaka Mikoto leaps through the ranks!'**_

Touma and Mikoto could only stare at the headline flashing through the screen as Mikoto's picture was still on air. Weird frog sounds suddenly erupted from the room. Touma reached for Mikoto's phone that sat on the table.

3 missed calls from Shirai Kuroko

Incoming call from Shirai Kuroko

"Oh you've got to be kidding me…" Touma muttered under his breath, as Mikoto fell back to her knees on the bed.

"Such Misfortune…"

**-chapter end-**

**hey, I know I promised that i'd give a shout out to the reviwers, but for some strange reason, I cant see the reviews... -_- so I guess, I'll have to postpone it for a later date. im very sorry...**

**sorry, got to go, as in now.**

**hope you guys enjoyed! please leave a review okay? I promise to mention you guys next time!**


	28. Some things are still good

**Yay! Sorry for the late update guys! Oh, by the way, I did a bit of looking back and I noticed a mistake. Mikoto refers to her parents as Papa and Mama, not Mom and Dad. So from now on, I will go with Papa and Mama. Coincidentally, that's how I call my parents too. How about you guys?**

**Anyways, here are the people who reviewed the past two chapters, with some special mentions as well:  
**

**Firstly, thank you for all you feedback and support! Well, here we go! I wanna thank Namikaze Nara, **** 5, ourevel, Iariz, Guest, Wolf Strife, ArmoreCoreNineBall, Shinnypichu88, Mireds27, Blazzers, Guest, 61wisampa, werewolf2005, Morak120, Hi-ra-ri013 and to my one and only Onee! Tanjoubi Omedeto Onee! Hahaha! You're getting older! Thank you for supporting my foolishness and putting up with my stupidity and rashness for so long!**

Chapter 28

"Well, how are you going to tell her Touma?"

Mikoto asked, trembling nervously while holding up a wavering smile. Touma looked at her, shuddering himself.

"M-me?" he croaked. "Y-you're her senior Mikoto! You tell her!"

He said passing her the phone which continued to vibrate and blink. Shirai Kuroko was still calling.

"Y-you're holding the phone! You answer it!"

"It's your phone! You answer it!"

"You're older! You answer it!"

"She loves you! You answer it!"

"Kuroko hates you! You answer it!"

"What?"

Touma asked quizzically. The two ended up having yet another pointless banter, while Mikoto's new frog phone kept on vibrating and blinking. Watching from the sidelines, Tsuchimikado Motoharu breathed a sigh.

"As fun as it is watching you guys, my ears kinda hurt from all the shouting sooo…"

He said reaching over and grabbing the phone, startling both Mikoto and Touma. They watched as Tsuchimikado flipped open the phone and pressed the answer button.

"Yo-ho! How ya doing Shirai-chan~?" He answered as cheerfully as always. The two other inhabitants of the room could only gulp and watch in fear as the spy talked to a-soon-to-be-raging-demon.

(… are pauses where Kuroko talks)

"Uh-huh.…Oh? Misaka-chan?...Yeah, she's here…Where am I right now? Well I'm with Kami-yan at his home of course!...Uh-huh….Nice choice of words Shirai-chan~…Oh, Kami-yan is just sexually harassing Misaka-chan as usual. It's practically rape by now you know…Okay, I'll tell him. Bye."

He placed the phone down on the table, his smile never leaving his face.

"Uh…what did she say Tsuchimi—WAIT! YOU JUST SAID I WAS HARASSING MIKOTO!" Touma shouted, planting his hands on the table with a loud thud.

'_It took you that long to realize that?' _Was the mutual thought in both Mikoto's and Tsuchimikado's mind as they sweat dropped.

"Yeah I did. You two weren't answering the phone so I took the initiative. You should be thanking me you know!"

"Are you crazy?!" Mikoto shouted, standing next to Touma. "You just made things worse! Now Kuroko's coming over here!"

"Yeah..Ha-ha. Shirai-san seems as energetic as usual. She said how much of a sly, sh-tty b-st-rd Kami-yan was. When I told her that you were harassing Misaka-chan, she just started spouting expletives. Her tone was quite contemptuous too."

"Oh my god you Idiot! Don't you realize that Kuroko might just kill Touma when she gets here?!"

Mikoto shouted worriedly. Touma's depressed head snapped up forwardly. He slowly turned too Mikoto, who in turn just looked at him worriedly.

"Uhm…how long will it take her to get here?"

"Knowing Kuroko, she-"

"I'm here for you know…Kamijou-senpai." A voice said from behind them, sending shivers down Mikoto and Touma's backs. Touma slowly turned his head, only to be faced with the gleaming red eyes of Shirai Kuroko, who was sitting neatly atop his bed.

"Are you ready to die now?"

She asked as she showed off her shiny, sharp needles. Touma could only gulp as he tried to stand up, but failed to do so as he epically tripped on his own feet, sending him plummeting downwards, face planting his floor. Kuroko teleported right behind him, her hands tingling to dissect the body of the pathetic, insolent caveman who had stolen her Onee-sama.

"Kekekeke….." she laughed. "Today is finally the day that I seize your pathetic life Kamijou-senpai…"

Kuroko said grimly as she teleported the spikes she was holding, pinning Touma's clothes to the floor, barely missing his flesh.

"Uh…Shirai-san? C-could you please keep your spikes? Th-they could seriously hurt someone you know…" Touma stuttered as he tried to break free. At this point, even Imagine Breaker couldn't do anything.

"Oh? They were meant to hurt someone Kamijou-senpai. That someone being none other than your idiotic pathetic self. Now then—'

"NO! STOP IT!"

A small voice shouted, snapping Kuroko out of her killing mode. She looked around, but saw no one else but Touma, who was lying on the floor, and Tsuchimikado who was grinning at her, sitting next to Touma.

"Ara? Was I hearing thi—"

"I'm right here! Stop this at once Kuroko!"

The voice said again, making Kuroko drop her head and look down on the little girl clinging onto her waist. The girl had long hazel hair, matched with an ahoge bouncing up and down.

"A-ah?"

"It's me! Misaka Mikoto!"

The girl said raising her head, revealing her huge hazel eyes that glistened and sparkled. Kuroko's eyes went wide as she stared down at the little girl. It took her a few seconds of silence, before she laughed and bent down. Mikoto backed away cautiously as the hands of her friend rose up and came closer to her.

"Aww…now, now little child." Kuroko smiled as she patted Mikoto's head. "This onee-san is from Judgment. Now tell me, has this caveman done anything to you? Rape? Sexual harassment? Kidnapping? "

"Touma hasn't done anything Kuroko! I'm Misaka Mikoto! You—eh?Waaa! Whachawawawawa~"

Mikoto reasoned, but was abruptly brushed off when Kuroko mushed up her cheeks.

"You certainly do remind me of Onee-sama, little child. But you don't have to pretend to be her. With a bit of hard work and perseverance, I'm sure you'll be able to be your own great person someday!"

"But I'm telling you! I'm Misaka Mikoto! My name is Misaka Mikoto!"

"Ah! What a cute child." Kuroko said standing up, facing Touma who was still lying on the floor. "What could such an innocent being like her be doing in a filthy place such as your home, Kamijou-senpai?"

"Haa~ This would be easier if you just listen to her Shirai-san…"

"What are you talking about?"

"Take a close look at her why don't you? She's the spitting image of Mikoto don't you think?" he sighed, still trying to remove the spikes. "Ugh. You are such a great friend Tsuchimikado." He said sarcastically, to which the spy only laughed and smiled.

Kuroko then glued her eyes to the little girl wearing overgrown pj's. He was right. The young girl who had introduced herself as Misaka Mikoto really did look like the real Misaka Mikoto. She watched as the little girl hobbled over to the lying caveman, falling to her knees as she tried to pull off one of the spikes.

"Hey, don't force yourself kid. You're gonna get hurt if you keep on doing that." Touma said, taking a small glance at her.

"N-no…I..I c-can do this- WAH!"

She squealed. True enough, she did get the spike that held down Touma's right arm, but due to the force she had exerted on it, she tumbled backwards after pulling it out. She rolled off in circles, before bumping her head on the nearest wall.

"Are you okay?!" Touma said in a panic. "Damn it Tsuchimikado! Get these things off of me!" he demanded. Tsuchimikado stuck out his tongue as he walked over and pulled out the remaining spikes.

"Ow…owowowowowowow…." She muttered, caressing her injured head as beads of tears made it to the corner of her eyes. "It hurts…it hurts Touma…." She said rocking back and forth as she sat down. Touma, after being freed from his trap, knelt in front of the little girl with a worried look.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked, touching the back of Mikoto's head. The girl allowed herself to fall over and land on his lap as she continued on with her mantra.

"It hurts…it hurts…"

"I told you to be careful didn't I? Now look at what happened to you…" Touma said, pulling Mikoto's body up as he examined her head. "It's a good thing you didn't get a bump. You—"

Touma's speech was cut off when they all heard something fell on the floor. All the occupants of the room turned to the pig-tailed teleporter as she sat on the floor, shoulders shuddering.

"Uhh…Shirai-san?"

"Since when?" she said shortly in a dark voice. Touma gulped. 'Don't tell me she already figured it out! Gah! I'm not ready to tell her yet! Ugh! What am I supposed to say right now damn it?!'

"Answer me Kamijou-senpai!" Kuroko shouted, startling Mikoto, who was huddled onto Touma's lap. "Since when….since when!" she shouted, her voice breaking with every word. Touma could only tighten his grip around Mikoto's small frame, preparing himself for the outburst of truth to come.

"SINCE WHEN DID YOU AND ONEE-SAMA HAVE A CHILD?!"

Kuroko screamed as comical tears fell from her eyes. Touma's head snapped up as he stared at the Judgment girl.

"What?"

"Since when did you…and Onee-sama…do…IT?!" she shouted accusingly. "Was that the main reason she went to England?! Was she trying to escape my watchful eyes of seeing her womb grow by the day?! How old is that child?!"

"She got the wrong idea Kami-yan~! Ahahahaha~!"

Tsuchimikado laughed. Touma couldn't even think of a proper answer as Kuroko came crawling closer to him, coming up face to face with him, his eyes boring into his very soul.

"With all these facts in order, I'd assume that you've SEEN and FELT Onee-sama's entirety yes? Tell me. I want you tell me everything right now Kamijou-senpai!"

She said, making Touma blush. He was left speechless, until he saw a few blue sparks coming from Kuroko.

"Kuroko you idiot!" Mikoto screamed, her face flushed a deep shade of red. "Out of all the possible conclusions, you came up with THAT?!"

"Ah..ah…Y-you really a-are Onee-sama….T-the same whip of l-love haunts my very soul…"

"THEN LET ME HAUNT YOU SOME MORE YOU PERVERT!"

Mikoto shouted again, sparking Kuroko. The Judgment girl's body twitched, meaning she was still alive. Mikoto panted, before falling back, landing on Touma.

"Ha…ha..ha…" she panted. "I..ha-haven't used that much electricity in a while…"

Touma could only smile as he watched her pant tiredly on his lap. Some things will just never change now huh?

* * *

"Do you people honestly expect me to believe in whatever nonsense you made up?" Kuroko said as she gave off a stern stare to Tsuchimikado and Touma, while Mikoto sat next to Touma.

"B-but it's true Shirai-san!" Touma tried to say in a serious face. "Mikoto was—"

"Abducted by aliens, sent to planet Youngs-a-lot and got experimented on. So you went there in a special spaceship to save her, but were unable to stop her temporary transformation?" Kuroko said irritably from having to repeat that bogus lie herself.

"Y-yeah!" Mikoto answered with a smile. "T-they chose to abduct me—"

"Because they thought of making your younger self the queen of their planet, seeing as you're so cute." Kuroko continued, glancing towards Mikoto, making her shiver.

"Yeah! Young-a-lotsers are complete pedophiles you see Shirai-chan~. You have to admit, Misaka-chan looks incredibly adorable in this appearance!" Tsuchimikado said confidently, without any trace of worry. The jerk was used to giving lies like this after all.

"I will attest to Onee-sama being cute, but I will definitely not believe this nonsense of yours."

"Kuroko I—"

"But despite all the questions floating in my head, I will not ask any further questions." Kuroko said with a sigh, making Touma and Mikoto widen their eyes. Kuroko turned to face Mikoto, a serious expression on her face.

"Onee-sama, I understand that there are just some things in this world that are meant to be kept hidden, and I believe that in this case, it is strictly between you people. But please, do remember that when push comes to shove, Kuroko will be right behind you. I would gladly delve into your so-called world of danger, if you are ready."

"Kuroko I…"

"It's very much alright Onee-sama." She said with a smile. "After several years of being with you, I have gotten used to this secrecy thing. I respect your decision Onee-sama, but my offer will forever stand, so please do not hesitate to ask."

"I'm sorry…." Mikoto said, as she held her head lowly as she twiddled with her fingers, her cheeks puffing out. A drop of blood fell from Kuroko's nose as steam emanated from her head.

"AH! YOU'RE CHARM IS JUST TOO IRRESISTABLE ONEE-SAMA!"

She shouted about to pounce on her, Mikoto's face contorted into fear as she sat in her position, completely vulnerable, until a pair of hands came and whisked her away. Kuroko fell nastily on the floor with a loud thud. She turned her head and glared at whatever took away her joy.

"You certainly have earned some nerve, Kamijou-senpai." She said menacingly as she sat up. Touma, who still had a hold of a blushing Mikoto, just sighed.

"Please Shirai-san… I don't want any more trouble. You can't just pounce on Mikoto, especially now that she's a child."

"Humph. You are getting conceited, just because you know more than I do."

"That's not it Shirai-san…" he exasperated, putting Mikoto down. "Mikoto's well being is our main concern right now. I mean, she can't just go out looking like a child, this will stir even more trouble for all of us."

He reasoned, with a genuine look of worry on his face. Kuroko only grunted. She had nothing to say that for it was true. She could clearly read the situation; Kamijou Touma cared for Misaka Mikoto the most. Her safety was always on top of his list, and here she was, her so-called best friend, trying to pounce on her and cause a childhood trauma.

"Alright fine… I will have yet another truce with you for this. But one concern has just crossed my mind though…"

"Huh? What is it Kuroko?" Mikoto asked as she plopped down beside her. Kuroko did her best to resist the urge to just take the girl into her arms and squeeze the life out of her.

"Onee-sama, I hope you haven't forgotten that you have a commitment you need to fulfill tomorrow. And you also have to explain this to the dorm mistress, Uiharu and Saten-san, and to Hiromi-san as well."

She enumerated, making Mikoto sweat bullets upon hearing the words "Dorm Mistress".

"Hiromi-sa-…Oh. That guy…."

Touma grunted with a sour expression. During all the fuss, he had actually forgotten about the presence of a certain trying-hard-to-be-boyfriend best friend of Mikoto's. he didn't know why, but for some reason, the mere thought of him made his blood go all cuckoo.

"Ah, Aizawa Hiromi. 19 years old, son of the president of the great Aizawa Industries. He was sickly as a child, often got into kidnappings and was a complete loner, until, about 13 years ago, when he met the daughter of the person who saved their company. Since then, he became the perfect bishounen everyone knows today."

Tsuchimikado said, making everyone stare at him.

"You know what? Sometimes how much of a dangerously tricky jerk you are, Tsuchimikado-senpai." Mikoto said with a cross face.

"Why thank you for your compliment Misaka-chan~! But this Hiro-yan seems a bit suspicious to me."

"Suspicious how exactly?" Touma asked.

"I'm not in the position to tell you anything, but his change was too…sudden. It was too quick, as if he was changed unnaturally."

"What are you getting at? Please just tell us head on." Mikoto answered irately.

"Well, do you remember the event that happened 11 years ago?" He asked eyeing her carefully. The two had a stare off, making Kuroko and Touma, who both did not know of it seem out of place.

"What does that have anything to do with what's happening?" It was all in Onee-sama's and Hiromi-san's past is it not?" Kuroko asked in hopes of getting one of them explain.

"I met Hiromi 13 years ago." Mikoto said in a solemn face, everyone eagerly waited for her to continue her story, especially a certain spiky-haired guy. "13 years ago, Papa brought me along on one of his small business trips. Tetsuya-tousan the asked me a favor. He said that his son really needed someone to talk to. So I went up and became friends with Hiromi."

"Wait, let me get this straight…" Touma interrupted. "You called Aizawa's dad Tou-san?"

"Well yeah. I was still a kid back then, and he preferred Tou-san rather than Ojii-san. What's so wrong with that?"

"No…nothing I guess…" Touma mumbled. '_You never called my Dad Tou-san. It was always just Touya-san.'_ He complained in his mind.

"Anyway, 2 years after that, during the anniversary party of the Aizawa Industries, Hiromi got kidnapped while we were playing hide and seek outside. I followed the van, and fought with the kidnappers. That was the very first time I manifested my powers at a strong level."

"Haii~! You can stop there Misaka-chan~." Tsuchimikado said, raising his hand.

"Now that you got the gist of it, it'll be easier to explain. Anyway, right after the party and Misaka-chan's great save, Hiro-yan was sent to England. His parents thought that it was the best way to protect him and so Misaka-chan had to say her goodbyes. Not even a year has passed, when he was once again kidnapped. Strangely enough, after a week of being missing, he suddenly returned to his household, all raggedy and tired. But after a nap, the usual Hiro-yan was long gone."

"So he changed…after a nap?" Touma asked.

"This is just preposterous! Did you know this Onee-sama?" Kuroko asked turning to her.

"No…I never really heard from him after we said goodbye. I only met him again when I came to England to study."

"Well, anyway, it doesn't matter much. At this point, everyone is considered as an enemy, as a threat. Just be careful at the party, okay Misaka-chan? I'll try to seek out a loophole, so that Kami-yan or someone else can go with you to the party, but I aint making promises though." Tsuchimikado said disimissively as he stood up and walked to the door.

"See ya later, Kami-yan! It's almost time for Misaka-chan's bedtime you know!"

He called out before closing the door behind him, leaving Kuroko, Mikoto and Touma alone.

"Speaking of bed time, don't you have curfew Shirai-san? It's already 9:13." Touma said looking at his phone.

"Gah! The Dorm Mistress will kill me! Ugh!" She grunted hurriedly standing up. "Alas, I must say, farewell to you Onee-sama! I wish I could take you home with me, but no one else can see you like that! I'll be back tomorrow!"

She called out before disappearing. Touma heaved a huge sigh, before falling back on the floor.

"I really thought Shirai-san was going to kill m—"

"She's coming back." Mikoto said absent mindedly, making Touma sit and look at her weirdly.

"Wha—"

"Oh! I forgot!" Kuroko said reappearing in front of them, startling Touma. "If you ever do anything to Onee-sama, to my precious Onee-sama, please be prepared to die, Kamijou-senpai!" she said teleporting out again. Touma looked back to Mikoto, who was now yawning and blinking back drops of water in her eyes.

"How did you know she'd be back Mikoto?"

"Haa~?" She yawned. "I don't know…I just felt like saying it I guess… Haa~…" she answered as her eyelids were half-closed, her head lulling back and forth, signs that she was already sleepy.

"We should get you to bed Mikoto. Hurry up and bru—" Touma stopped himself mid-sentence. "Ugh…We should've asked Shirai-san to bring your things too. You don't have a single thing with you except your phone right?"

"No…My waa~ wallet is in my dress pocket too…Why don't we go out and buy a few things then?"

"No." Touma answered in a straight face. Mikoto tried to glare at him, but it was covered up by her droopy eyes. "There is no way you're going out Mikoto. What if someone sees you huh?"

"No one in the right mind would be wandering about at 9 in the evening you dope."

"Oh? We both know one person who would chase around another person in the middle of the night till dawn."

"That was one…waa~ invalid…Toumaa…" she said yawning again. "Can we please just hurry up and buy the stuff already? The faster we get this over with, the faster I can sleep Toumaa…"

Mikoto said as she placed her head on top of the table. Touma could only sigh as he scratched his head.

"Alright fine. But we should do something about your clothes. You can't go out in Pj's."

"I think I know someone who can help." Mikoto said standing up and dragging herself to the door. "Wait here okay? I'll be at Maika's."

She said droopily as she walked out the door.

"No way in hell would I let you at of my sight Mikoto!"

He said following behind her. He saw the door to Tsuchimikado's close, so he crept up and peaked through the door. Maika escorted Mikoto to one of the rooms, closing the door behind them.

"You really are a master stalker, Kami-yan."

Tsuchimikado said opening the door widely, making Touma drop to the floor.

"Seriously…how many times do I have to face plant the ground this evening?" Touma said, lamenting at his misfortune. Tsuchimikado walked back and sat on his couch as Touma picked himself up.

"You've been getting into trouble one after the other huh Kami-yan? I'm honestly getting worried about you."

"Hah! If you were, then you would've helped me with Shirai-san earlier!" he answered, sitting next to him.

"Oh don't be like that; I helped you make up the thing about Young-a-lots right? Though Shirai-chan didn't buy it…"

"No one would ever believe such a stupid and obvious lie Tsuchimikado. Anyway, about the party…"

"Hmm? What about it?"

"Mikoto's in danger again isn't she?" Touma said in a low voice as he tightened his grip on his hands. Tsuchimikado sighed before looking over to his friend.

"No surprise there Kami-yan." He said propping his feet up. "Even before she met you, she always got into trouble. She fought the darkness without ever being part of it. It's amazing."

"But now even the level 5's are—"

"The level 5's have always hated each other. The only ones who could actually hold up a conversation without setting of genocide would be Misaka-chan and the Queen, though it is quite apparent that they hate each other."

"What are you—"

"Misaka-chan is…kind of like the spokesperson of all the Level 5's. She was always the most approachable one amongst all of them, she's been at the border of the darkness for so long, but she never falls in. I'm not yet sure about this, but I think that all of this is another ploy."

"Of what? Science or Magic?"

"Hard to say really. Both sides would gain something from this, so I can't pin point it at this time. But Anderwick's mysterious death, the Meltdowner's presence in the fight, Misaka-chan's appearance, and the rumbling of ranks, all of these are just too big of a scale to just be a plan of sorts."

"Sigh. We're not getting anywhere with—"

"WE'RE DONEE~!"

A cheery voice shouted. Tsuchimikado and Touma looked ahead and saw Maika, pushing forward a gothic-Lolita dressed Mikoto, a pink Gekota-shaped bag slinged across her shoulder, her long hazel hair tied into two pig-tails held by two black ribbons. Touma's mouth went wide as he stared at her. For some reason, he could actually see the 17 year old Mikoto wearing the same thing, a thought which made him blush and smile warmly.

"Isn't she adorable?!" Maika screeched. "I just knew that these dresses I made would come in handy one day! I can't believe Misaka-san would actually be the one to wear them though~!"

She aid happily. Touma was about to say something, until Maika stopped him.

"It's alright Kamijou-san" She said with a smile. "I have been trained, after nearly 5 years of doing so, to not ask questions. I will simple oblige to whatever is asked, it is after all my job as a maid to do so."

Touma and Mikoto could only look at the girl who seemed so mature in their views right now. Motoharu and Maika were not real siblings. All relations were a lie, but even so, they still treated each other as family. They came to be because of an agreement. And up to now, the agreement is still being fulfilled.

"No need to feel sorry Kami-yan. Maika understands fully what she's allowed to know. But if you do take too much advantage of my little sister, then I will have to punish you for that~!"

Tsuchimikado said walking over to Maika and putting an arm around her.

"Thanks…Maika and Tsuchimikado-senpai…"

Mikoto said with a smile. Touma smiled, before Tsuchimikado pushed the both of them out, saying that they needed to go if they wanted to make it home early. But before the door closed, Tsuchimikado pulled Touma back and whispered a few words.

Words that left him in thought for the rest of the walk.

* * *

Touma and Mikoto walked side by side as they made their way to the convenience store. It was a comfortable silence between them, and the night was cold but it was warmer than usual. Mikoto had worn a brown coat over her dress to protect her from the bitter late-winter winds. Touma on the other hand wore a gray jacket and a red scarf.

"Ne…Touma?"

Mikoto asked peering up at the man beside her, who was weirdly quiet. After not getting a response, she puffed out her cheeks, before tugging on his jacket.

"Touma!"

She called out again, but he was still stuck in his own thoughts. Getting irritated with this, she grabbed his right hand, jumped and pulled on him.

"What the—WOAH!" Touma said slipping on a pile of snow and falling back on the cold pavement. "What was that for Mikoto?"

"For not noticing me. You should pay better attention Touma!"

Mikoto said with a smile as she held out her little hand to him. Touma stared at it for a while, before a smile came over his face.

"Yeah, you're right." He laughed, taking her hand and standing up. "I should pay better attention." He said with a warm smile that contradicted the weather. Mikoto's cheeks flushed red, but she still smiled back. A huge grin appearing on her splendid face.

'_**Pay attention around you Kami-yan. Some things are still good right?'**_

'_That's right… Good things are still all around me.'_ Touma thought with a smile, before taking a step forward, with Mikoto taking huge marches to catch up with him. '_Mikoto is still with me, everyone is doing their best to make things go back the way they were. Everything is almost in order.'_

As they neared the convenience store, Mikoto's face brightened up as she smiled and pointed to the convenience store excitedly. He only smiled back as she let go of his hand and ran to the door. His arms stretched out for hers, but failed to grasp it in time as she ran inside. Just a few seconds without her warmth was enough to make him feel paralyzed. He thrusted forward, the doors to the store sliding open before him, as his eyes scanned the store for the sight of the hazel haired child.

There, in a not so faraway corner, was Mikoto bending down, staring at a box of Gekota shaped cookies dreamily.

"Mikoto!"

He called out to her. Mikoto immediately stood up and ran over to him.

"I'm sorry. I got distracted…" she apologized adorably. Touma could only smile as ruffled her hair.

"It's okay. Why don't you show me to where those cookies were? Then I'll bake them for you as a midnight snack?"

"Yay! Here! Here! Over here quick!"

She said happily as she grabbed his hand once again, pulling him to where the cookies were. Her hands had safely made its way back to his. Her presence had once again returned to complement his. Her smile had once again resurfaced, bringing the life back into him.

The girl had no idea of how she made him feel. How she made Kamijou Touma, a young man, go weak on his knees and scream like a girl. She continuously pointed to random kiddie stuff, but he still made sure to buy all her necessities such as the toothbrush and such.

He practically wasn't even listening as Mikoto smiled and told him stories about random stuff. Her smile was all he could see. Happiness was all he could feel. His fears and worries were all long forgotten as he saw the only girl he loved, be happy and smile like she used to, way before all the problems started.

And so, after paying for everything with Mikoto's credit card, they walked back once again, hand-in-hand, bracing the cold winds together. Mikoto's steps wavered as her eyes closed and opened droopily. He stopped for a second, before bending over, urging the girl to climb onto his back.

"Ah! No! I can still walk!" she reasoned with a red face.

"Come on Mikoto. It's either this or I forcefully carry you like a potato sack all the way home."

He said challengingly, making the girl pout, before abiding to his request. She slowly clambered onto his back, wrapping her small arms around his neck. Touma stood up and continued to walk back home, with a girl on his back, and the groceries in his hand.

And yet he was still troubled.

He was happy a second before, but now, the fear that once ate away his heart had returned. Worry for her safety surfaced above all. He wasn't sure how he could protect her. Even with Reality Bender, he would not be able to protect her smile, for he was sure, in one way or another, she'd be sad of the outcome.

But after remembering her smiles, her laughs and the warmth of her touch, Kamijou Touma had once again made his resolve.

"I will protect this girl. The girl who carried the weight of keeping Heaven in its place. I want to protect her, and with whatever method I can use, no matter what the cost, I will do it."

He said as he entered his dorm room. He flicked open the lights, nearly stumbling over a huge box laid in front of the door. On top of it, a note read,

_Misaka-san,_

_These are some of the clothes I have! You can have all of them! I know they'll suit you very well!_

_-Maika_

He smiled as she slowly pushed it to the sides, walking to the bed and placing the sleeping girl on it. he removed her shoes, her coat, her bag and the ribbons tying her hair. He watched as her chest slowly heaved up and down, as her face showed signs of a peaceful rest. He sat down beside her, stroking her hair as he watched her sleep.

"Sweet dreams Mikoto…" he said, kissing her forehead good night, before yawning and falling asleep next to her. That day was tiresome. A lot has happened, and the two needed to rest, for they needed all the measure of peace they could in the days to come.

Some things were still good after all.

**-chapter end-**

**Yo! tha prt about the agreement came from NT 7 if I remember correctly... OH MY GOD I WAS MUSHING OVER TAKNRS FOR 3 FREAKING DAYS. my friends were like asking me what the heall my problem was and when I told them that TAKNRS was over, they simultaneously hit my head and said that reality is still better than anime, except the guys.**

**they said anime guys are still the best. T^T buncha weirdoes...**

**well, sorry again for the late update!** t**hanks for reading! please review! thanks!**


	29. Deadly Pancakes and the Deadly Party

**Okay, so Hi! First of all, let me elaborate, Maika and Motoharu are not real siblings. I mean, we all know that she's his step-sister, but they're even less than that. So basically, they are stepsiblings in fake papers, and Maika knows this. Motoharu was given a fake family so that his stay in Academy City wouldn't be too suspicious, and this includes Maika. Maika was just supposed to be an accessory in his facade, but as time passed, Motoharu came to love Maika as his sister (or more than that. I don't really know…the guy's a sis-con). They had an agreement that as long as Maika would not ask any questions, Motoharu would be a kind brother and give her everything she needed and wanted.**

**Someone asked me that, so I thought I'd explain it here, so if anyone who didn't know would know. On a completely unrelated note, I am totally addicted to Kami-sama Kiss right now. The events in the anime, and in the manga, Kami-sama Haijemimashita, are different and jumbled up! Seriously! There were so many TomoexNanami moments in the mange which weren't placed in the anime!**

**Okay, I'm ranting again… Anyway, this is probably the beginning of the final arc of this story. So yeah, there were some who guessed it right; the party is the beginning of the end.**

**let's get this started shall we?**

Chapter 29

'_Mikoto...Mikoto….'_

A voice called, repeating Misaka Mikoto's name repeatedly. The Railgun slowly fluttered her eyes open, hoping to find out the owner of the voice.

'Fuu? Who's there?'

She muttered groggily, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

'_Don't trust him…No matter what.' _The voice warned_. 'Don't trust the person you've trusted the longest.'_

The image of a certain spiky-haired idiot suddenly appeared on her mind. She curled her small hands into fists as she glared all around her, in search of the owner of the voice.

'Who are you?! Show yourself to me!' she shouted. But the voice only sighed, as Mikoto felt her small frame change.

'_Tonight, I'll help you. When the clock strikes 12, things will go back. Within a week, things will fall into the right track. When that time comes, you must make your decision._' It said again, as the blackness around them distorted. Mikoto felt confused. She felt her body growing, as her mind felt like it was being squished into pieces.

'Who…w-what are you?'

'_Please. Make the right decision Mikoto.'_

The voice said, before the world collapsed around Mikoto, engulfing her in what seemed like a sea of darkness.

* * *

"Nnnn~" Mikoto said twitching in her sleep. "…Fwah?" she muttered with a yawn, as she sat up and stretched her arms.

"Mmm….I'm still in a kid's body…what a bummer…"

She sighed as she scanned her own body from her arms to toes. She was still wearing the black frilly dress that Maika had given to her. Her hair was undone and her shoes were off. She puffed out her cheeks, upon noticing the presence of the spiky haired idiot, sleeping with his mouth wide open, probably dreaming all his worries away in a far away la la land.

"Seriously!" she muttered quietly as her cheeks turned red. "Falling asleep beside a girl like this! Don't you have any shame?!" Mikoto said as she pushed herself out of the bed, slowly clambering onto the floor. With much difficulty and effort, she raised the blanket to cover the upper body of the sleeping idiot.

She smiled as she watched him mouth open and close with every breath he took, as occasional dreamy smiles crept to his face. His weird mutters made her raise an eyebrow, thinking of what he might be dreaming of as of now. But all her moments of indulgence was long forgotten, upon the persistence of the advice given by the voice in her head.

Don't trust the person you've trusted the longest.

Those words had stung her hard and deep. Surely, the voice could've meant anyone right? Kuroko, Uiharu, Saten, Konori, Josephine, Index, the barcode dude, Hiromi, her parents, her teachers, classmates, fans. There are countless people, but why?

Upon hearing those words, why did the image of Kamijou Touma, the only man she had ever truly loved, appear in her mind?

Her intuition was usually correct. Not to brag, but she had always had good luck in games, and her first guesses are usually spot on, but at moments like this, she just wishes that she had been so incredibly wrong. She'll admit it. Misaka Mikoto loved, and still holds an undying love for the idiot known as Kamijou Touma. But yet, why was he the first person she thought of?

Deciding to shake it off, Mikoto shook her head, pressing both palms to her cheeks, in hopes of snapping herself out of her self-pitying trance.

"Geez! Get your act together Mikoto!" she said puffing out a breath. "Touma is probably worried sick about you, and all you're doing is sulking?! Agh! Pull yourself together darn it!"

She said walking out of the vicinity of the bedroom, and into the kitchen. A bright idea popped into her head.

"Hmm…I know! I should make him breakfast!" she said happily. "Surely I can do simple dishes for breakfast right?"

Mikoto said, unknowingly stepping into her very own battlefield. A very…very…soon-to-be-collaterally damaged battlefield.

And as expected, a little while later, as Touma slept soundly, dreaming about him and Mikoto, frolicking in a land of orange flowers and lavenders, multiple loud crashing sounds were heard.

"Eh?" he fumbled his eyelids half asleep.

-CRASH-BANG-TING-THUMP-

"Wha?" he said as his eyelids opened fully, still not standing up.

-BOOGSH-CRACK-BOOM-THUD-

"What the hell? MIKOTO?!" He called out, realizing the loss of the warmth beside him, and the disturbingly frightening sounds from the kitchen. Touma hurriedly sat up, wore his slippers and stood from the bed. He walked over to the kitchen, only to be greeted by a puff of white…smoke?

"What the- what is this? Smoke? Fog? A ghost?"

"No you idiot!" he heard Mikoto's voice answer back from deep within the kitchen. "It… It's flour." She added in a quieter voice. Seriously. His kitchen wasn't that big, but after being decorated with smo-, with flour, it kind of seemed like the gates of Heaven surrounded by clouds.

It took quite some time before the news finally registered in Touma's mind. He took a deep breath, before sparing one last glance at his messed up kitchen.

"MISAKA MIKOTO GET YOUR BUTT HERE IN FRONT OF ME RIGHT NOW!"

He demanded, as irritation marks appeared across his head, while his arms crossed over his chest. No sign of response.

"MISAKA MIKOTO! RIGHT THIS VERY INSTANT YOUNG LADY!"

"Geez! You're just like my Mama!" Mikoto complained as she slowly made her way to him. "Stop being so naggy okay? Sheesh." She said appearing out of the puff of whatever the hell his kitchen was now. In all honesty, he could've mistaken her for a snowman or something, but the few apparent brown strands of hazel hair gave her away.

"I don't think naggy is a word you know."

"Five years old here? What are you so mad about anyway?"

Mikoto asked irately as she dusted some flour off her hair. Touma watched her for awhile, noticing how she missed some, before kneeling down and helping her with it.

"Really? You're asking me, the person who lives in the place you just made a mess out of, why I'm angry after you turned my kitchen into a haunted place?"

"What's so haunted about a flour filled room? It will go away soon you know."

She said crossing her arms and turning away from him. Touma only sighed as he stood up, venturing into the fog room and opening the air vent and exhaust fan. Soon enough, the smoke was cleared away, and surprisingly, the kitchen wasn't as messy as he anticipated it to be.

"Wow. Now this is shocking."

He said walking around and inspecting his kitchen aisle. Aside from the dust specs floating and lying around, only a few plates and bowls were in the sink.

"What's so surprising about your kitchen?"

Mikoto asked, with her head tilted to the side, as she followed him in.

"I had expected to see hell you know. I mean, with eggshells scattered on the floor, pans littered all over, probably some dark globs of whatever in the pots and sink. But aside from the flour, everything's fine."

"What kind of character do you think I am?" Mikoto asked as she stood on her stool and opened the oven. Touma watched eerily as she slowly opened it, and brought out a plate. "I was only trying to make a decent breakfast!"

She said with a pout. Something which should've made him admire her cuteness, but instead, it made him stare at her with fear-filled eyes.

"Y-you? C-cook?" he muttered.

"I may not be much of a whiz in the kitchen like you are, but I'm also not a complete idiot!" she said angrily, making her seem even more adorable, as she held out the plate, surprising Touma. The plate actually had some pretty decent looking pancakes.

"Uhm….where did you get that from?" Touma asked worriedly, as he watched Mikoto walk to the fridge and taker out some syrup.

"Did you forget? Yesterday, you bought me those Gekota cookies, turns out; it also included a special pancake mix inside. I just noticed it earlier."

"And why exactly was it in the oven?" Touma asked again as he followed Mikoto to the small table beside his bed, carrying two glasses and a carton of orange juice and milk.

"You would've gotten mad if I cooked it on the stove right? Even when I was still in my 17 year old body, you would always scream at me whenever I did. I never understood that you know?"

'_Well that's because you end up using your electricity on the stove and eventually blow it up…._' He thought. But obviously, due to his concern for his life, he did not say it out loud.

"Yeah, well…I just don't want you to get hurt…" he lied. "Anyway, are you sure this'll be edible?"

"HEY! Are you discriminating my cooking ability, just because you're better than me?!"

"Not really….but for both of our sakes…I guess I'll say yes to that."

"HMPH~! Then taste it!"

Mikoto said grumpily as she took a slice of one of the pancakes, poured a fair amount of syrup on it before shoving it into Touma's mouth. Touma gurgled, nearly choking on the pancake, which was surprisingly delicious, though it did have a weird after taste, as Mikoto watched intently.

"So? How does it taste?"

"Mmmm….it tastes pretty good actually, but what else did you put in here?"

"Really?!" Mikoto answered with stars in her eyes. "I'm glad! Actually, I used the white stuff that looked like flour in that box on one of the shelves. The label had a guy with a thumbs up, so I thought that it tasted good."

"Ah? Really? Then tha—" Touma's sentence was cut short by his thoughts. _'Wait a minute…Box?...On one of the shelves? ….guy with a thumbs up?...'_ he thought as he sweated bullets. He immediately stood up, before running out to the kitchen.

"Eh? Touma? What's wrong?"

Mikoto said following after him, carrying a slice of the pancake, drenched with maple syrup on a fork. Touma's head eerily turned to her.

"Mi…Mikoto?"

"Yeah? What is it mmph?" she said innocently, about to take a bite of her own creation.

"No! Don—" But Touma's warning came too late as Mikoto munched on the fork holding the pancake. He stared at her for awhile, before running over and shaking her body furiously.

"NO! Spit it out! Spit it out!" he repeatedly shouted.

"Fwah? W-WHY?!"

"YOU DIND'T USE FLOUR!" He shouted. " IT WAS DETERGENT!"

Hearing this shocked her, and in her state of shock, she had accidentally swallowed it. her face turned green as she ran to the bathroom, barfing out all the contents of her stomach, especially that failure of a pancake. Touma was left to stare at the bathroom door, watching in silence as he heard her vomiting sounds, which honestly made him feel bad.

"Haa~ Note to self: Never let her wake up first." He said face palming. "Such Misfortune…"

* * *

It was a peaceful day in Academy City. People were busy chatting about the party to be held that evening, wondering for what its reason might be. Another topic of interest was Mikoto's sudden jump in the ranks, making her, once again, the center of attraction and speculation in urban legend sites. But other than that, things we're still relatively serene, until surprised shrills ran through the air, coming from none other than the usual meeting place of a certain Railgun and her friends.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!"

Uiharu Kazari and Saten Ruiko shrieked as they sat down on one of the corner seat at their usual hang-out.

"Girls...uhm…could you please keep your voice down?" Touma pleaded. "We might get kicked out for causing a ruckus, AGAIN."

"It's not like you can stop us Kamijou-san!" Saten shouted, thought a bit quieter.

"Saten-san is right! Whoever knew that aliens and a planet called Youngs-a-lot existed?! You're lying right?!" Uiharu added. Touma could only scratch the back of his head, as Mikoto kept her head down, in hopes of avoiding any form of recognition, while Kuroko and Hiromi silently drank their tea.

"Well, even if you ask Shirai-san, that was the very same explanation we gave her…sooo…"

"Even so! This is just unbelievable! I mean—" Saten said pointing at Mikoto, making the little girl tilt her head bewilderedly. "Just look at Misaka-san! She's too adorable!"

Saten remarked. This time, Mikoto was wearing a frilly blue and white one piece dress. Its skirt was divided into three parts, with the topmost and bottom layer being white, and the middle blue. The shirt was white and had blue dots and ribbons. On her head was a white beret with a blue ribbon on its right side.

"Saten-san, Onee-sama has undoubtedly always been adorable, no, in fact, she is gorgeous like a goddess! Our only matter of concern right now is her…physical state." Kuroko said.

"But Shirai-san!" Uiharu whined, but was put to a stop by Mikoto's sudden voice.

"U-uhm! P-please stop arguing!" She said in an adorable manner. "Mi-Mikoto is very sorry…if Mikoto is causing all of you so much trouble…." She said blinking her eyes repeatedly, imitating a puppy dog face. The three girls were melted in their place as they saw Mikoto in pink with sparkles.

"Wow…never thought that you'd be able to play cutie pie to that extent." Touma whispered as he sat next to her.

"Tokiwadai has acting classes. Don't be too surprised with what I can do." She whispered back. As Mikoto continued on with her cuteness drama, Touma took this moment as a chance to glance over a person who had been suspiciously quiet ever since they got there.

"Not that I care or anything….but," Touma said , snapping the girls back to reality, "I can't help but notice how quiet you've been, Aizawa."

All eyes turned to him, as Hiromi put down his tea and sent a glare towards him.

'Not that I have any obligation to answer you either Kamijou, but as courtesy, I will. It's because I've been feeling under the weather recently, probably from the overwhelming changes of environment in this city."

"Oh yeah…you had always been weak. Are you alright Hiro-kun?" Mikoto asked worriedly. An irritation mark appeared above Touma's head as Hiromi smiled.

"It's been a while since you called me that, Miko. But I am fine. Don't worry about it."

"That reminds me," Saten said. "For how long will you be staying here, Hiromi-san? What about school?"

"Well actually, I don't really need to go to school, because in England, our break has already started. But for at the very least, I'll be staying here for another week, at the most, I'll be here for a month and a week."

Hearing those figures made Kuroko's and Mikoto's ears perk up. Mikoto glanced over to Hiromi, who just smiled sweetly at her.

"_I've had two months left when I came here…. I've already spent three weeks of it with the business concerning Ave-san….leaving me with a month and a week…..but…how? How does he know?!"_ Mikoto thought.

"Aizawa-san." Kuroko said. "Is there any specific reason as to why you're staying for that specific amount of time? Are there any events or happenings you're looking forward to?"

"Kuroko…." Mikoto mouthed hoping no one could hear her, but unfortunately Touma did. Before he could say anything, Hiromi answered her question.

"Ah, well…there is that fireworks display held every night for an entire week marking the end of winter, and the beginning of spring yes?" he said thoughtfully. "I'm quite sure that that week will be very eventful. Besides, that week will start in two days, what can I lose by staying?"

"Ah! That's right!" Uiharu said cheerfully. "Why don't we all go together?"

"Yeah! Tha—"

"Sounds great!" a female voice answered. Without looking up, Mikoto's eyes twitched in irritation. Touma could only sigh as he held his head, suppressing a headache.

"Hi~ Touma-kun! 3"

The girl in a pink dress said flipping her long copper hair and winking.

"Ugh…" Touma grunted. The other occupants of the table, with the exception of Hiromi, turned to Touma quizzically.

"Who is she Kamijou-san? A friend of yours?" they asked. "She seems kind of familiar." Kuroko added.

"Hardly…." He answered back, before raising his head. "What do you want, Sumine-san?"

"Aww….I just wanted to spend some precious time with my Touma-kun~!" she said in an irritating manner.

"HE'S NOT YOURS!"

Mikoto accidentally shouted, immediately regretting her rash behavior. The girls and Touma were left in suspense ion their seats as they hoped that Mika wouldn't recognize her. Mika rolled her eyes, with a smirk,

"And who might this little brat be, huh, Touma-kun? She seems awfully a lot like Misaka-chan."

"Uhh…about that…" he mumbled, thinking of an excuse. "Well…she's….uhm…she's Makoto!" Touma said with a smile, while everyone else just gave him an odd look.

"Makoto?" Mika asked as she stood, placing a hand on her hip.

"She's…Mikoto's younger sister! Ha-ha! Get it? Mikoto and Makoto?" he laughed nervously.

"Uh-huh…." Miko said, obviously not convinced.

"Ehehehehehe…." He laughed nervously. "I'm telling the truth! N-ne, Mako-chan?" he said nervously turning to Mikoto, who just gave him a weird look before playing along.

"A-ah! Th-that's right! I-I'm M-makoto…Mikoto onee-chan's Imouto! Mako-chan!" she said putting both hands to her chin, making a cute pose.

"Hmm, really…. So, tell me Mako-chan, why did you say that Touma-niichan over here wasn't mine? You're just a kid, what would you know?" she asked. Everyone was now stuck in a panic, but they did a great job of masking it.

"U-uhm…." Mikoto, or Makoto, as she was temporarily known, stuttered.

"_Oh god…please don't slip. Please don't slip, please don't slip…."_ Touma repeated ion his head.

"Th-that's because!" Mikoto said keeping them in suspense. Mikoto took a deep breath, and despite the apparent blush on her cheeks, used all of her willpower to utter her words.

"B-B-BECAUSE TOUMA-NII IS MINE!"

She shouted, surprising everyone, even Mika and Hiromi. Touma was left staring at her, both in awe and wonder.

"Touma-nii is Mako's and Miko-oneechan's! You're just an old hag! So lay off!" she added. An irritation mark appeared on her head.

"Why you-!" she said as she was about to grab Mikoto, until Hiromi held her arm.

"I would appreciate it if you would stop right there. Sumine-san, am I right?" he said with a smile. Mika drew back her arm and stared at him with fear, confusing the others.

"Y-you…" she muttered. "W-why…"

"Sorry, I'm afraid I haven't introduced myself, I am Aizawa Hiromi, Mikoto's childhood friend. Frankly, I do not appreciate you hurting her…sister." He said holding out his hand to her. Mika stared at it before turning to glare at Mikoto.

"Tch. I am outta here." She muttered storming off.

"Okay! Don't ever come back, obaa-chan~!" Mikoto shouted back playfully, earning her another glare from the retreating woman. Once Mika had left the store, all eyes fell on Mikoto, who was smiling happily, bobbing her head left and right while singing a tune.

"A-ah, Onee-sama?" Kuroko asked.

"Huh? What is it, Kuro-chan?" Mikoto asked with a smile, making everyone confused.

'_The more she acts like a child, the faster the effects speed up, the faster she dies.'_

Josephine's words rang in his ears as he hurriedly stood up, grabbing Mikoto by her waist, carrying her to the edge of their seats.

"Uhm…sorry guys, but we gotta go. We still have a lot to do you see…so uhm…bye!"

He said nervously and in obvious hurry as he ran out the door. He heard his name being called after, but he didn't bother to look back. A day. All he had was a day, before Mikoto would completely disappear from his life.

Under all circumstances, he would not let that happen.

* * *

"Heey…" Touma called out. "Is Mikoto ready yet, Maika?"

"Just a bit more!"

Tsuchimikado Maika called from the other side of the door. Touma just sighed as he fell back on Tsuchimikado's couch.

"Seriously…why do girls take so long to change?"

"Can't blame Misaka-chan though…seeing as how you're all dressed up Kami-yan." Motoharu said appearing behind him, jumping over the couch and plopping down on it.

"I could hardly call myself dressed. You should see the stuff Mikoto made me wear to their balls a few years back." Touma muttered as he loosened his black tie a bit. He was wearing his usual back jeans, a white cuffed undershirt with a black jacket and a black tie.

"I do know, and in comparison to those, you are underdressed, but seriously, I haven't seen you this presentable ever since Misaka-chan left 10 months ago."

"Don't even remind me."

"Well, at least I secured you permission to go with her. Turns out, since Misaka-chan is underage, even in her real form, she really needed an escort. She is the only minor out of all the level 5's."

"Hah? But isn't Shokohou-san the same age as Mikoto?"

"Nope. That b-tch is actually much older, she's just playing with the records, so that she could stick with Misaka-chan and make fun of her."

"Creepy."

"All girls are Kami-yan." Tsuchimikado laughed. "All girls are."

"What are you guys talking about?" Mikoto's voice asked, interrupting the two. Touma looked forward as his eyes widened in awe, upon being in the presence of such an adorable lady. Mikoto was wearing a red sparkly dress, which wasn't as plump as her previous dresses were. Part of her hair was tied by a read lace with flowers upwards on her right side as she had red frilled cuffs on her wrists. The dress had thin straps and a thin ribbon just below her chest, leaving the rest of the ensemble flow endlessly way past her feet.

"WOW~! That's my sis for ya~!" Tsuchimikado cheered. "She can make even a 5 year old look hot!"

"Shut up Tsuchimikado!" Touma said punching his head. He stood up and walked over to Mikoto, before kneeling down and holding out his hand.

"Well…" he started, making Mikoto look up to him. "Shall we go now, my lady?" he asked. Mikoto blushed, before slowly offering him her hand while turning away.

"Sh-shut up…idiot…"

She answered in her usual tsundere fashion, turning away with a blush on her face. Touma smiled as he stood up, still holding her hand.

"Well, I guess we'll be going then, Maika, Tsuchimikado." He bade, glancing over to his two friends, who were standing next to each other, smiles on their faces. Motoharu placed an arm over Maika's shoulder, while his other arm gave him a thumbs up.

"Yep. Take care now, Misaka-chan, Kami-yan. Don't go running off and getting into trouble now alright?"

He said as he watched the two of them walk out of his dorm room. Touma only waved backwards, as Mikoto turned back and smiled, despite the blush still on her face.

"Be careful Misaka-san! Try not to ruin your get up okay?"

Maika called after them as their door closed, leaving his room in silence. Tsuchimikado sighed, before ruffling his sister's hair.

"We sounded like parents sending off their daughter to prom." He remarked.

"Yes, well, I just hope that they enjoy the night. Some things don't last for long after all. Right, Onii-chan?"

Maika asked, looking up to him. Tsuchimikado smiled,

"Yeah…they don't." he answered back. "Especially for them."

* * *

"Ugh! Hurry up! Touma!" Mikoto shouted as she stomped her feet impatiently, standing in front of the lobby of the tower where the party would be held.

"W-wait up…." Touma wheezed, walking inside. After leaving Tsuchimikado's house, Mikoto had him run through the night city streets reasoning that they were late because he was too slow, when in fact, it was her fault for taking nearly three hours to get dressed. She also had him run across 3 freaking districts to get there, without taking any form of transportation, while she used her powers at a few points.

"Geez…why are you so worked up? It's just a party!"

"It's not just a party, and we're also late! It's almost 9 you idiot!"

"Yeah, and you should be in bed by now, if not for this stupid party." Touma muttered as they walked to the receptionist, who stared at them weirdly.

"Uhm…G-good evening. What can I do for you?" The receptionist asked politely. Touma placed the letter on her desk and sighed.

"We're here for the stupid party…."

"Touma!" Mikoto said kicking his leg. Touma groaned but just turned to the woman receptionist once more.

"A-ah….But I'm the party is only for the Level 5's sir. We can't just let anyone get in there."

"Hah? I know that. That's why we're here." Touma answered back, getting a little bit irritated. After running through districts, he would be extremely pissed if they weren't let in.

"B-but sir…there are only seven level 5's in the city. Three of which are known to be male, three known to be female, and the 6th level 5 is still unknown even to us. All male espers have all been registered into the log book."

"Uhm…miss, sorry but I'm not a level 5, heck I'm just a level 0!"

"Then why are you here then?" the receptionist asked stupendously.

"I'm the level 5!" Mikoto said raising her hand and standing on her tip toes, trying to reach the top of the desk. The woman snickered, watching Mikoto's antics.

"Hey! What's so funny?!" Mikoto asked grumpily.

"I…I'm really sorry little girl, but you should really stop assuming the identity of other people. According to the log book, Shokohou-sama and Mugino-sama have already arrived, leaving Misaka-sama, the Railgun. It says here that Misaka-sama is a 17 year old girl with long hazel hair. You're probably just five years old. It's just impossible! A little brat like you? Be a level 5?! Ha-ha!" the receptionist laughed.

"Uh-oh…" Touma sighed, knowing where this would be going. Sparks started forming in Mikoto's bangs, as a grim aura was held over her visage.

"Are you underestimating me?" she muttered, as more sparks came and went. The receptionist could only stare at her in fear. Mikoto raised her head and glared at the woman. "Would you like a Railgun fly through your skull, Miss Receptionist?"

She asked grimly, the woman was struck in fear as she only shook her head vigorously.

"Then good. " Mikoto smiled as her sparks subsided. "Then please register me or whatever and so we can get this over with okay?"

"H-HAI!" The woman said obediently, before typing off on her computer. After a few seconds, she looked up and faced Touma.

"P-please proceed t-to the t-topmost floor. I-I have already registered Misaka-sama, b-but may I please know your name?"

"Hah? For what?" Touma asked.

"F-for record keeping s-sir. You are h-her chaperone correct?"

"Oh. Sure then. The name's Kamijou Touma."

"Y-yes, Kamijou Touma-sama, please proceed with Misaka –sama, w-we hope you enjoy."

She stuttered before bowing down. The two said their thanks, before turning and walking to the elevator. Touma pressed the right buttons and the elevator door opened. Mikoto walked in happily before Touma followed her.

"Seriously, did you have to scare her that much Mikoto?"

Touma asked as the door closed and they were raised up. Mikoto only smiled at him and stuck out her tongue.

"Touma-nii was flirting with that woman! Miko can't just stand there and do nothing!"

She answered adorably, but this made Touma worry.

'_This is bad…her childishness is getting more and more spontaneous…I need to find a way to turn her back…and soon…'_

He thought worriedly. Mikoto looked up to him, her head tilted to one side.

"Touma-nii? Is something wrong? Did Miko do something bad?"

Mikoto asked worriedly, as she tugged on his sleeve. Touma forced a smile, as he patted her head.

"N-no… it's okay Mikoto. What's up with you? Acting like a gentle kitten right now?"

He said, hoping to poke some fun at her, or get her to blush and turn back to her 17 year old attitude, but instead, she just smiled and clung to his arm as the elevator door slid open.

"Doesn't matter! As long as Miko is with Touma-nii~!"

Mikoto said happily. Touma was about to say something, until he heard familiar voices speaking.

"What the f—?! F-ck-ng hero and the sh-tty Railgun?"

"Well aint this a surprise? It's been a while, Kamijou-san."

"Ugh…that f-ck-ng b—A KID?!"

"Ara ara~? Misaka-san~?"

"GUUUUUUUUUUUTTTTTTTTTTTTSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!"

Touma looked forward and was faced with hell, LITERALLY.

"Such Misfortune…"

-chapter end-

**Okay, sorry for the late update again. I'm kinda busy with school work and activities that I even barely have time for anime. IM DYING DUDES!**

**And this week, I was faced with one of the most imminent things a girl faces. Getting a hair cut. I mean, Mikoto has to cut her hair short because of her style in fighting right? And I have to cut mine for practically the same reason. Imma die twice. Oh well, not that I care about mah looks anyway!**

**Oh, and another reason for the late update was my older brother. He borrowed my USB/Flashdrive or whatever you wanna call it, which contained all the chapters until 31. Later that evening he called me up and said that he didn't wanna go home, when I asked him why, he said that he didn't want to face me. I already figured it out and just dropped the call.**

**So now, I got a new USB and my brother is still very wary of any murder that might occur in our house. All my wasted effort until chapter 31…. TT^TT WAAAAAAAAAAAA~! **

**Well, never mind that. Gotta go now! Hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review! Till next time! Ja!**


	30. Leaving behind Broken Hearts

**Hey there! Well, I noticed something from the reviews. Seems like you guys are expecting me to either create a character to be the 6****th****, use Aogami, or use another canon character. Sorry to disappoint you, but I won't be doing anything like that. **

**I can't use Aogami because I'm still not certain of the fact if he is the 6****th****, so I'll pass for now. I also can't really think of another character whom I haven't used from the Science side who would be able to fit the bill. And creating a new one…that'd be too much work… Yes, I am lazy-assed at times… I hate that about me, really.**

**Anyway, here's the 30****th**** chapter! Wew! I actually got his far!**

Chapter 30

"Such Misfortune…"

Touma muttered as he took Mikoto's small hand in his. The little Misaka Mikoto looked up to him; a worried look spread across her face. Touma smiled before kneeling down and holding onto her hands with both of his.

"Okay, now look here Mikoto. I know being in a room with all the level 5's is kinda intimidating, even more that you're in a child's body, but I want you to listen to me okay?" he said tucking some locks of her hair behind her ear. The little girl nodded. "I'll be with you the entire time. So just act like you normally would and don't mind them staring…maybe they'd probably be glaring and sending daggers at you but whatever…just don't mind them okay?"

He said nervously standing up and taking a deep breath. He faced all the other level 5's who had different looks right now, which actually made him laugh.

"I won't get nervous if they all look like that Touma."

Mikoto said with a smile as she tugged on his sleeve. Touma returned the smile, before moving forward, walking inside the room. All eyes were glued on them, more like to Mikoto as they walked in. He glanced over to her and saw how she walked with a poker face, taking steps that were gracefully filled with appropriate confidence. Unknowingly, Touma smiled.

'_Now that's the Misaka Mikoto I know and love.'_

He thought proudly as they walked over to the round sofa where all the level 5's, excluding the 6th, were seated.

"U…uhm…Yo!" Touma decided to greet casually. No response. But still, the faces of the level 5's were enough to make him stifle a laugh.

Accelerator was looking at them like he had seen an adult version of Last Order in a two piece bikini. (haha) His eyes were wide open, Mikoto nearly felt the urge to gauge them out, and his mouth was agape, nearly dropping to the floor. He didn't even bother to dress up. He wore his usual long sleeved shirt with something like a V-design on it.

Kakine Teitoku, well….he was….normal. He was sitting on the farthest end from them, smiling, while holding up a cup of red liquid, probably some sort of wine or cocktail. Well at least this guy dressed up, wearing an expensive looking tux and all.

Mugino Shizuri was outright glaring at Mikoto. But the trace of confusion could still be seen. She was wearing a purple revealing dress, probably wanted to show it off to Hamazura Shiage later on.

Shokohou Misaki was….being Shokohou Misaki. Still having that devious smile while wearing a pink and white ball gown.

And lastly, Sogiita Gunha, still wearing the shirt that signified Japan, that stupid white cloth-headband across his forehead, with a stupid smile on his face.

Things were kept in silence as the level 5's, except Kakine, Gunha and Shokohou, glared at one another.

"Ehem" Touma fake coughed, hoping to lighten up the atmosphere. "W-well…seems like we need to explain…uhm…this…right?" he laughed nervously.

"Damn right f-ck-ng hero." Accelerator said slumping on the red velvet sofa. "The f-ck is that b-tch the number one, and why the hell is she a kid?"

Touma guided Mikoto to one of the edges of the circular sofa and sat her there, next to Shokohou before sitting down beside her. So basically, Touma sat on one edge, to his left was Mikoto, then Shokohou, then Gunha, then Kakine, then Accelerator, then Mugino who sat on the other edge.

"Do your thing you d-psh-t." Accelerator said angrily.

"Now, now Mister ex-number one." Kakine taunted. "Shouldn't we offer Misaka-san and Kamijou-san some wine first? They just got here."

"Shut the f-ck up you son of a b-tch. I'm not f-ck-ng talking to you so shut your hellhole of a mouth before I damn shut it for you."

"Oooh…someone's got a way with words. A perfect gentleman is no match for you, mister ex-number one." Kakine said again.

"Hah. Hate to take sides here but…" Mugino said joining in on the conversation, her glare still directed towards Mikoto. "You're the new f-ck-ng number three you sh-tty Dark Matter b-st-rd."

"What did you say you b—"

"Ara~ Ara~…Calm down everyone." Misaka said with a smile. "You should really watch your mouths. We have a child here with us. Tee-hee~"

"THAT'S RIIIIIIIIIGHT!" Gunha screamed standing up and raising his fist. "THOSE WHO CURSE IN THE PRESENCE OF A CHILD DON'T HAVE THE GUTS TO BE A GOOD EXAMPLE! ALL OF YOU NEED NEW GUUUUUUUUUUUTS!"

"Sigh, please calm down Gunha-san." Misaka said with an aggravated sigh as she tugged on his shirt.

"Huh? By the way…" Gunha asked turning to Mikoto. "Kamijou, do you have the guts to tell me who that kid is?"

Everyone sighed upon hearing Gunha's question.

"Really Sogiita-san? Haa~ This is Misaka Mikoto remember? Number three Railgun?" Touma answered exasperatedly.

"AGH! Enough with the small talk already! Tell us why that f-ck-ng b-tch is number one! She's a f-ck-ng brat!" Mugino shouted angrily.

"Uhmm….I don't really know how much you should know, but since you're level 5's…I think you can handle it… I have a friend who thinks that Mikoto is being played around by a magician. That b-st-rd, whoever he is, is planning to use Mikoto's powers as an angel to destroy something."

"That doesn't explain a single f-ck-ng things you f-ck-ng hero!" Accelerator said sitting up properly.

"Hey, hey, just let me finish okay? Look, you may not believe me but Mikoto got turned into a kid because of magic, as for why she was ranked number one, you should ask Alesteir Crowley himself that, because I don't have a single clue at all."

"IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW THEN WHAT THE HELL WAS YOUR REASON FOR GIVNG AN EXLANATION YOU F-CK-NG B-ST-RD?!"

"I'M GOING TO F-CK-NG DECAPITATE AND CASTRATE YOU YOU HEAR ME KAMI-KUN?!"

"CAN'T A GENTLEMAN DRINK IN PEACE?!"

"Oh dear~"

"GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTSSSSSSSSS SSSSSSSSSSSS!"

All the level 5's started screaming at one another, nearly biting off each other's throats. Expletives resounded in the air, like fireworks on a festival eve. Touma had resorted to placing his hands over Mikoto's ears, hoping to prevent any of the foul words from corrupting her young mind.

"Haa~ I just knew it…going here was a bad idea after all…seriously, such misfortune…"

Touma muttered. It was then that he felt some sort of pain jolting through his hands. He looked over to Mikoto and saw how she generated electricity from her bangs.

"What the—Mikoto?!"

He asked in a frenzy. All eyes turned to him, before their attention got diverted to Mikoto as a loud thunderclap erupted inside the room.

"All of you…." Mikoto muttered as she stood atop of the sofa. Touma had unwillingly let go of her as the pain of her electricity became unbearable for him. "All of you….CAN YOU ALL JUST SHUT THE HELL UP?! I'M IN A DAMNED CHILD'S BODY AND IT IS WAY PAST MY BED TIME! DO YOU NOT REALIZE HOW CRANKY KIDS CAN GET?! DO YOU WANT ME TO FRY ALL OF YOUR BRAINS JUST TO UNDERSTAND THAT?! IF YOU'LL ALL KEEP ON SHOUTING LIKE THAT THEN I WILL TOAST YOU, UNDERSTAND?!"

She shouted as electricity cackled through her bangs and entire body. Her breathing became unsteady, as her chest pumped up and down erratically.

Something was wrong, AGAIN.

All the lights and other electronic devices in the room started to explode as their circuits overloaded.

"Wow….Misaka-san seems really temperamental today…" Misaki commented, nervously gulping.

"Hah! At least she has the guts to stand up to all of you! I admire you Misaka!" Gunha added. Misaki pulled on Gunha's ear and began scolding him.

'_What the hell?! Why was Mikoto able to produce electricity even with Imagine Breaker holding her down?!_' Touma thought, but was stopped when he heard another voice shout.

"Hah! This is rich! You have a f-ck-ng temper tantrum b-tch?! You're that much of a conceited b-tch huh Railgun?! I'm gonna shut that trap hole of yours!"

Mugino shouted, sending out two green beams at Mikoto. Both of which merely dissipated into thin air.

"What the-?" Mugino muttered.

"Hah. Seems like you've run out of juice, f-ck-ng fourth rate!" Accelerator mused.

"Then why don't you lazy-assed b-st-rds get a move on and try to attack her huh?! F-ck-ng hypocrites! This is a technically advanced building! If she overloads the entire f-ck-ng room, we'll all f-ck-ng get toasted!"

"I, Kakine Teitoku, will still be able to live through it. a simple blast is nothing for me."

"I can take on a f-ck-ng nuclear weapon. She's just an electrical b-tch." Accelerator said leaning his head back.

"AGH! LOOK YOU GUYS!" Touma shouted, standing up. "If you don't stop Mikoto, chances are, this entire building will blow up! We're at the center of Academy City idiots! Having this tower explode would cause collateral damage to the city! People will get hurt!"

With different images of people in the city that they wanted to protect, the other level 5's tried to stop her, but all their bodies were numbed by her electricity. They simultaneously fell back on the couch, twitching as the electricity ran through them. Even Touma was paralyzed.

"IS THIS ALL YOU CAN DO?! YOU PEOPLE ARE ALL BARK AND NO BITE! YOU CAN'T EVEN STOP ME WHEN I'M ONLY USING 1% OF MY TRUE POWER! PATHETIC! SERIOUSLY PATHETIC!"

"What the hell?! Who is that b-tch?!" Accelerator asked. "My vectors aren't working on her! I can't activate my powers!"

"My Meltdowner isn't working as well!"

"This is no good….my Dark Matter isn't accumulating like it usually does!"

"WHAT THE—MY GUTS ARENT ENOUGH! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

'_No…what's happening…I don't get it! What the hell is happening now?!"_ Touma thought worriedly as his body couldn't move.

"I'll try to get her with telepathy!" Misaki suggested, despite the fear building up in her.

Misaki tried to reach out to her, hoping to calm her down, but when Mikoto turned her head to look at her, Misaki was faced with dead, hollow eyes, making her jump away from her with Gunha being there to catch her.

"MIKOTO! STOP IT!" Touma called out to her, taking in the pain from the strain on his body and her electricity. He struggled to move his hand, reaching out for hers. When his fingers brushed past hers, an insurmountable amount of electricity began surging through, forcing him down as her hands slipped past his.

"Haah~?" Mikoto mumbled…Mikoto's head lulled forward, before snapping back up, seeing the sight of Misaki in Gunha's arms.

"Humph….now that is what I call level 5 romance. Hehehehehe…"

Mikoto laughed deviously as she sat back down, while the others still stared at her with wide eyes.

"Mi-Misaka-san!" Misaka stuttered as she clung onto the now quiet Gunha. "W-what t-t-the heck was that?!"

"Huh?" Mikoto asked tilting her head. "What are you talking about?"

"Oi, f-ck-ng brat, can you really not remember anything?" Accelerator asked. "When you were out of it, even the f-ck-ng right hand of that hero was no match!"

"Imagine Breaker? Why would Touma use Imagine Breaker on me?"

Mikoto asked in confusion, seeing the looks of shock and unreputable fear from the other untouchable level 5's did not ease her at all. She slowly turned her head towards Touma, who was still holding his right hand, bearing the numbing pain from earlier. It had even left a burn mark on him.

"T-touma?" Mikoto asked. "W-what…wh-what did Mikoto do?" she said as her eyes widened in fear.

"N-no Mikoto you…"

"D-did…did Mikoto…hurt you? I…Is Mikoto the reason why…y-your hand hurts…?" she said. "Is Mikoto the reason…why the pretty room is…like this?" she asked as she looked around, taking note of the burnt curtains, the shattered glass shards, everything.

"N-No…that's not it…" Touma said with a smile, despite the pain he felt. "M-Mikoto…i-isnt at fault…okay? I-It's my fault…b-because..I'm..n-not…strong..enough…ugh…" he said falling forward on the couch.

"Touma!"

Mikoto shouted, kneeling on the couch, her hands moving around the area of his upper body, but she could not find the courage to touch him. Tears started welling up in her eyes, as she sniffed and shuddered. The level 5's stared at the vulnerable form of the new number one.

"Tch." Accelerator clicked his tongue. "Now, because of this f-ck-ng brat, we've got to call an ambulance? F-ck that. I'm not taking any responsibility for any of this."

"GUUUUUUUUUUUTTTTTSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" Gunha shouted.

"No one asked you, f-ck-ng cheating b-st-rd." Mugino commented.

"GUUUUUUUUUUUTTTTTSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" Gunha shouted.

"Well, well, looks like the previous number one actually has a soft side. Maybe you are part gentleman after all." Kakine added.

"GUUUUUUUUUUUTTTTTSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" Gunha shouted.

"All of you shut the f-ck up if you still want your heads on your necks. I usually don't give a sh-t about crying brats, but another brat won't shut up if she finds about the fact that I left that b-tch crying in the dust."

"GUUUUUUUUUUUTTTTTSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" Gunha shouted.

"I'll erase the memories of the employees here then. The Board of Directors would throw a fit if none of us does something."

"GUUUUUUUUUUUTTTTTSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" Gunha shouted.

"Sigh… Alright you f-ck-ng b-tch. Stop that waterworks of yours and get your ass moving. All of us got bothered by your f-ck-ng incapability so at least do all of us a favor and try not to be a burden!" Mugino said.

"GUUUUUUUUUUUTTTTTSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" Gunha shouted.

Mikoto did as Mugino said, ignoring Gunha's anooying…habit.. She took a few steps back and watched as the other Level 5's got to work.

"M-maybe….just maybe…you guys aren't so bad after all…" she mumbled quietly, saying it in a rather bashful manner. She held her hands together behind her as she swayed from left to right, staring at the ground. The level 5's all turned and looked at her indifferently. Mikoto looked up slowly, meeting their odd gazes. Worry started becoming apparent on her face, but that just made her even more adorable.

"T-Thank you level 5 onee-chans and onii-chans."

She said, freezing their odd gazes in time. Mikoto tilted her head, wondering if she had done anything wrong, just until -

"GUUUUUUUUUUUTTTTTSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" Gunha shouted.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"

The other level 5's shouted, finally getting sick of his pointless shouting of guts. They, with the exception of Misaki, who couldn't do any form of attack, threw their signature moves at the poor gemstone, shocking Mikoto. Vector met Dark Matter met Meltdowner.

"GUUUUUUUUUU—AGH!" Gunha groaned as their attacks hit him. Feeling proud of their work, the level 5's went on with their work.

'_I take it back! They're complete sadists!'_ Mikoto thought as she watched Gunha move from the pile of debris he was thrown back to.

"The level 5's really are scary monsters after all." Mikoto mumbled to herself.

'_**But you're an even greater monster."**_

"Ah? W-who was that?"

Time check: 10:37 pm

* * *

"ONEE-SAMA~~!"

Shirai Kuroko screamed as she bursted through a certain hospital room, with Saten Ruiko and Uiharu Kazari right behind her.

"Are you alright?! Why are—Ah?"

She said stopping in her tracks as her eyes viewed one of the most shocking scenes she could ever see in her lifetime. Kamijou Touma was lying on the hospital bed unconscious, on his bed beside him sat a little Misaka Mikoto, still wearing her flashy red gown, and the most shocking part?

Shokohou Misaki sat across Mikoto on a mono block chair with her legs crossed.

"O-O-O-O-O-O-Onee…sama?"

Kuroko asked. The two girls behind her took a peek and was met with the pretty blonde girl wearing Tokiwadai's uniform sitting gracefully with a smile.

"Ara, ara~? Seems like you're friends have arrived, little Mikoto-chan." The flamboyant woman said standing up, flipping her hair.

"Who might you be? Are you a friend of Misaka-san? From Tokiwadai?" Uiharu asked, pushing the frozen Kuroko aside.

"Ha-ha, well yes. Of course I am. Can't you tell from my uniform? Nice to meet you, Kazari-chan, Ruiko-chan." Misaki said shaking their hands, surprising the two girls.

"Uhm…how did you-"

"Don't even try it, Shokohou." Mikoto said grimly from her position on the bed. "You messed with their heads once, I won't let it happen again."

"Why, yes. Of course little Mikoto-chan. Misaki-nee will not harm your precious friends. After all, I'm not that stupid to anger the newest number one." Misaka said winking.

"Misaka-san called you Shokohou, and you said Misaki-nee…so your name must be Shokohou Misaki then?" Saten concluded.

"Ah yes~ Very clever Ruiko-chan. I am Shokohou Misaki! Tee-hee~!" She said striking her usual pose, consisting of a sideward peace sign and a wink of her eye.

"Huh…Shokohou Misaki…Shokohou Misaki….I swear I've heard it somewhere before…." Uiharu started to think.

"Mental out." Kuroko said shortly.

"Ah yes! The 5th level 5! Shokohou Misaki the Mental Out! You—EEH?!" Uiharu said in shock.

"What are you doing here, Shokohou-sama?" Kuroko asked with a slight glare.

"Ah well if it isn't Kuro-chan, little Mikoto-chan's number one fan. Hm… your boot-licking services really are quite outstanding; I would love to make you one of my followers. "

"Format my brain or erase my memories if you will. But I will NOT forsake Onee-sama in anyway. Even in your trickery, true faith will be enough to bring me back to my senses, Shokou-sama."

"Aww, too bad then. So…would you mind if I used either Kasri-chan or Ruiko-chan over here then instead?"

Misaki said taking out her remote control and pointing it towards the other two girls. Kuroko teleported metal spikes to her hands, ready to strike Misaki's hands, but after just a millisecond of blinking, the remote was out of her hands, leaving her confused.

"Really little Mikoto-chan. Your powers are very, very irritating." Misaki said with a smile as she turned to face Mikoto who was still sitting on the bed, holding out her remote. "To think you used magnetism to grasp my remote away from me in the fraction of a millisecond, it's amazing and annoying at the very same time."

"Shokohou…" Mikoto muttered. "Try doing that to my friends again and I swear I won't let you off easily again." She said throwing the remote back to her. Misaki smiled before stuffing it in her bag and walking away. On her way to the door, she stopped by Kuroko and whispered.

"You already know and yet you still follow her orders and choose to not do anything about it? Loyalty or stupidity, which is it? Can you answer that, Shirai Kuroko-chan?"

Kuroko's eyes widened upon hearing her words. She turned to Misaki, who was now waling out the corridor, looking back at her with a devious smile.

"Why that witch!"

"Let her go Kuroko." Mikoto answered before she sighed. "That girl really can't do much damage."

"Wah? So she's also a level 5?" Saten wondered. "Why are all the level 5's so talented and pretty at the same time?"

"What was she even doing in this room Onee-sama?!" Kuroko asked, ignoring Saten's remark.

"I asked her to help me with something in my head, that's all. There's a lot of things I can't do when I'm in this little body of mine."

"Then why not ask us for help?! Kuroko, Uiharu and Saten-san are all here for you! Why not ask us instead?!" Kuroko whined. Mikoto felt bad, they were having this kind of argument again.

"Sigh, really Kuroko…None of you are high level telepaths right? Not to be offensive or anything, but Shokohou is the best choice for this. I know she won't betray me because she knows I can easily kick her butt if she even tries to use anything in my head against me."

"What do you mean by that Onee-sama? All three of us didn't sneak out of our dorms at 11 in the evening for some other bogus lie I hope." Kuroko said seriously.

"That's right Misaka-san. " Saten added. "We're your friends. We also have a right to know what's happening to you. We understand that Kamijou-san's your boyfriend and everything but—"

"Wait right there!" Mikoto interrupted with a red face. "Touma is not my boyfriend!"

"Deny it all want Misaka-san. But me, Uiharu and Shirai-san know that you still love him. Even Hiromi-san."

"Ah? Speaking of Hiromi-san, where is he? He just suddenly disappeared this morning from the café as well." Uiharu asked thoughtfully.

"I'm sure Hiromi-san is fine! But can Onee-sama please just explain things? Kuroko can't take it anymore! You're in danger again and I'm just sitting here watching you!" Kuroko said in an outburst, her shoulders shuddering with every word.

"Shirai-san…" Uiharu and Saten mumbled.

"Kuroko….I…" Mikoto tried to find the words to say, but was at a complete loss.

"Onee-sama…Kuroko just…Kuroko just can't take it anymore. Forgive me but…I think you're being selfish! Even while knowing that I am aware of your condition, you treat me like such a burden. You hide things away from me, you lie to me, you do so many things, saying that it was to protect me! It's unfair Onee-sama! You're crushing my already broken heart!" Kuroko shouted looking at Mikoto seriously with glossy eyes.

Uiharu was about to say something, until Saten stopped her and urged her to leave them alone. As they were about to leave the room,

"Uiharu-san, Saten-san, please don't go." Mikoto asked in a low voice with a faint smile. "I want you to listen to her. She needs her friends right now." She said, obviously referring to Kuroko. The two girls could only nod as they turned their attention to Kuroko who was holding back her anger and tears.

"I don't have sister or siblings. My parents live faraway. My relatives… god knows where they are right now…" Kuroko enumerated. "Being in Academy City, being in a place where I wasn't familiar with, Judgment work was my only comfort. But with you, being with Mikoto-onee sama changed everything. I was able to smile, relax and be happy. I want…I want to do the same for you, because you are my precious Onee-sama…"

Silence covered the entire room as Kuroko's speech had ended. Uiharu and Saten didn't know what to do. Mikoto was left to contemplate on Kuroko's words. Time dragged on as they were all seemingly stuck in that moment.

"Kuroko I—"

Before Mikoto could speak, something had crashed into the window of the room. Kuroko teleported Uiharu and Saten out of the room, while Mikoto gathered all the ferrous material she could and formed a wall to protect the unconscious Touma form the shards or from whatever it was that crashed.

"Tch! What is this!?" Mikoto complained as she struggled to keep the wall up. For some reason, she felt another force from the outside pressing onto her makeshift shield.

"Gah! Whatever it is! I don't care anymore! I swear! I will protect Touma!"

She resoluted, fighting back with all her might. She felt a sudden pain in her chest. Her head started to throb as something pulsated within her. She disregarded all of this, and kept on with focusing her powers on the wall. She spared a small glance at Touma, who was sleeping soundly, his breathing was steady as his right hand, which was wrapped in bandages after suffering from second degree burns.

The sight of him had given her strength. She smiled, before pushing the wall forward, only to be forced forward due to the absence of anything on the other side. Mikoto tumbled to the wall, hitting her had once more and groaned.

"OWIE! What was that?!" she asked caressing her injured head. A chill ran down her spine, before a familiar male voice came and she felt a cold touch on her shoulders.

"_**Meet me? I know about the month and week you have left Misaka Mikoto. If you don't want him to find out, then go to the park a little past 12 midnight, no one must know, okay? I'll be waiting~!"**_

Mikoto stood up and looked at the shattered remains of the window. The wind blew past, making the curtains, which were burnt and torn, sway and dance eerily.

Burnt and torn

What exactly had done this? Who was the target? Misaka Mikoto? Or Kamijou Touma? She had no clue. But she will find out, when she meets the person behind the voice.

There it was again. That pulsating feeling, that annoying pain in her chest, that throbbing in her head. It wasn't something that could be eased by the medicine Doctor Gekota gave her. She had to do something, and fast.

Mikoto looked back at Kamijou Touma, a smile tugging on her lips. She slowly walked back to him, as a weird feeling came over her entire body. Once she stood in front of him, she was also faced with the digital numbers of the clock. 11:59

"Oh. So that's what she meant."

Mikoto said, referring to what the female voice has said before.

_-When the clock strikes 12, things will go back. Within a week, things will fall into the right track. When that time comes, you must make your decision.-_

"Make the right decision huh? That's a really hard thing to do."

Mikoto said as she stared at the small numbers representing the seconds. 46, 47, 48, 49. She brought her hand up and placed it on his spiky hair, ruffling it, brushing it away from his face.

"I always wanted to tell you that look you cute while sleeping. Oh, and another thing,"

She said with a smile and a blush as the seconds rushed by. 52, 53, 54, 55. She sat beside him, bringing her face closer to his. 58, 59.

"I love you." And so she kissed him. 60.

In an old fairy tale, passed down from time to time, 12 midnight was when a prince would kiss a princess, either waking her up from eternal slumber, or to make a mere magical delusion to reality. When the clock strikes 12, they say that magic happens. Academy City was a place of Science, but every girl wants to have a happily ever after.

Mikoto broke away from the kiss. Touching her soft lips with her finger tips.

"Wow. I never thought it'd actually work."

Mikoto said in awe as she stood up and examined her own body. She was back to being a 17 year old again. The gown she had worn also grew, turning into a dress that fit her perfectly. She sighed, about to walk over to the window, until something grabbed her hand.

"Mi…Mikoto…"

Touma mumbled in his sleep. He was dreaming. She was sure of that. Her hypothesis proven by the fact that he snored right after uttering her name.

"Geez you idiot."

She sighed, slowly removing his hand from hers, before clambering over the railing of the window, about to jump off.

"I love you too...nnn…..don't…go…please….nnn~"

He said, Mikoto closed her eyes, before allowing herself to fall freely, four stories high.

'_I'm sorry Touma…but you and Kuroko….I'm going to have to mend your broken hearts later, when all of this is over.'_ She thought with a faint smile.

'_If I still have time left….'_

* * *

_"Hnnn~? Mikoto?"_

Touma asked as he saw the silhouette of a little girl sitting beside him. The girl had a smile on her face, then she leaned closer to him, making the young man blush.

_"O..OI! What're you doing?!"_

He fumbled, trying to back away but he was unable to move. The girl moved closer and closer, his gaze was focused on the smile on her lips. Then they moved, uttering the words,

"I love you."

And before he could react, the girl had kissed him. Though it was technically wrong, Kamijou Touma felt no need to push the girl away. His vision was blurry, but with lips like this, he knew that it was his Misaka Mikoto who was kissing him. But alas, the girl had backed away, and what he could see was no longer the silhouette of a little girl, but that of a ...woman?!

_"Mikoto?! Mikoto?! Are you normal now? Did the kiss save you?! Mikoto?!_"

He called and shouted, but the girl didnt hear him. She just stood up and was about to walk away. But Touma felt like what she was about to do was dangerous. He had a feeling that he was about to lose her again, he didn't want that.

"Mi...Mikoto..." He called again, reaching for her hand. This time, the girl looked back at him, and she still smiled, before removing his hands. He protested, but for some reason, she didn't hear him. He kept on grasping and grasping through the air, hoping to feel her touch, but no. She was too far off.

"I love you too...Don't go...please..."

Was all he could think of to say. For a moment, he thought it had worked. The girl, Mikoto stopped moving. He was about to once again call for her, until she dropped from the window, letting gravity do its thing. Kamijou Touma stared at the window again, powerless. He forced his starined and paralyzed body to move, to walk towards the window, but all he could do was move his arms.

"Mikoto! Mikoto! Mikoto!"

"KAMIJOU-SENPAI SNAP OUT OF IT!"

A shrill voice shouted, before he felt something hit his head hard. Touma's eyes fluttered open, his vision adjusting to the brightness of the room.

"What the- is there a problem with the lighting? It usually isn't this bright..." He complained.

"It's not the light Kamijou-senpai. Look around you for crying out loud!" Shirai Kuroko's voice sounded in his ears again. Touma groaned before forcing his eyes open, only to be greeted with the faces of Uiharu, Saten, Kuroko, Yoshikawa-sensei and Heaven Canceller. All of them had the same look of dread on their faces.

"Uhh...did someone's pet die while I was asleep?"

"This is no laughing matter Kamijou-kun." Heaven Canceller said worriedly. "Look at your window."

Touma was confused, but the worried faces of everyone else made him curious. He looked back and saw it. A strip of red cloth swaying with the wind on the window.

"MIKOTO!"

He shouted, but he knew it too well. Kamijou Touma knew. He knew he was too late.

-chapter end-

**Heyow! Oh man…It's almost over…I don't want it to be over! Really! Waaahhh~! Actually, I was planning on making Mikoto tell Kuroko and the others everything, just like what she did in Railgun S during the Silent Party Arc, but then again, Mikoto wouldn't do that now would she?**

**She cares too much for them to actually drag them into things.**

**I'm ranting again because I just finished reading NT 8. I downloaded it about 2 weeks ago, but I only had the time to finish it now. Damn Touma! Telling Mikoto that he needs her help than just leaving?! What the heck?! He is such an idiot! Seriously! why can't he see Mikoto's value for him? Ugh…really… Actually, due to 61wismapa's influence called "What Causes a Spark?" I was waiting for Thor and Mikoto to meet. Come one dudes! Gremlin is on the scene! Kamachi-sensei! Please make Mikoto her own harem! Even if it just consists of Thor and Touma!**

**I'll shut up now!**

**Well, gotta go! Still have a mountain of stuff to do! Sem-break is almost here! I'm not sure, but I think that's spring break in Japan right? Oh well.**

**Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy! Please leave a review! Ja!**

**btw-special mention to immalovinurstory! sorry dude, but the moment you caught up, i posted a new chapter! haha!**


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